And the sky worked magic once again. The night of August 28 to 29 has left a new astronomical spectacle. The partial lunar eclipse has allowed us to observe how the shadow of the Earth advanced over the disk of the Moon, in a phenomenon that has been visible from Spain and from large areas of Europe, Africa, America, and part of Asia.
According to information from the National Geographic Institute, the Moon entered deeply into the Earth's umbra, although the eclipse did not reach totality. The peak of the phenomenon occurred during the early morning, while the observation conditions varied according to geographic position and the time of the Moon's rise or set.
A partial eclipse visible from Spain
The National Geographic Institute placed this phenomenon among the main astronomical events visible from Spain during 2026. The Moon crossed the shadow of the Earth and became largely covered on its surface, although a small area remained outside the umbra.
The observation depended, as is the case in all lunar eclipses, on the position of the satellite in the sky at each point. In some areas of Spain, it was possible to follow the phenomenon for a longer time, while in others the position of the Moon relative to the horizon limited the observation of some of its phases.
NASA's data places the peak of the eclipse when 96.3% of the diameter of the Moon was within the Earth's umbra. That depth of entry into the shadow explains the particularly striking appearance that the lunar disk presented during the central part of the phenomenon.
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon. The shadow projected by our planet then advances over the lunar surface, progressively altering its appearance until reaching the moment of maximum obscuration.
Why the Moon can acquire reddish tones
The Moon's entry into the Earth's shadow does not mean that it completely disappears from view. The Earth's atmosphere filters and bends some of the sunlight, allowing some wavelengths to still reach the lunar surface.
Reddish and orange tones can become especially visible during the deeper phases of the eclipse. For that reason, the images captured during the night have shown a Moon very different from its usual appearance, with variations in color and intensity depending on the moment of the phenomenon and the atmospheric conditions.
Visible from Europe, Africa, and large areas of the world
The lunar eclipse of August 28 was not limited to Spain. The configuration of the phenomenon allowed it to be followed, at least partially, from different regions of Europe, Africa, America, and Western Asia, although the degree of visibility and the observable phases changed according to each area.
The time difference and the position of the Moon in the sky determined that while in some places the eclipse could be observed for a good part of its development, in others it coincided with the rise or set of the satellite.