In pictures – the Blood Moon lunar eclipse wows stargazers across America and Europe

In pictures – the Blood Moon lunar eclipse wows stargazers across America and Europe

Images of the Blood Moon lunar eclipse

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Thanks to Lauren Hodgson-King for sending us this image of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK at 05:08 local time, which comes with quite a funny background story! "I wanted to set up my telescope in the garden but the Moon was behind a big tree," says Lauren, "so I ended up shooting this 1.3s exposure with my camera, holding it balanced on the bathroom tap out of the window of our loft room! Equipment: Canon EOS 77D DLSR camera, bathroom tap Exposure: ISO 400, 300mm, f/5.6, 1 1/3s
Thanks to Lauren Hodgson-King for sending us this image of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK at 05:08 local time, which comes with quite a funny background story! "I wanted to set up my telescope in the garden but the Moon was behind a big tree," says Lauren, "so I ended up shooting this 1.3s exposure with my camera, holding it balanced on the bathroom tap out of the window of our loft room! Equipment: Canon EOS 77D DLSR camera, bathroom tap Exposure: ISO 400, 300mm, f/5.6, 1 1/3s

Iain Todd

The 28 August 2026 partial lunar eclipse was visible over North and South America, the UK and Europe and West Africa.

The event saw Earth's shadow pass over the surface of the full Moon, turning the Moon a deep, rusty red colour.

The lunar eclipse occurred late on 27 August 2026 for observers in the Americas, but early on 28 August 2026 for observers in Europe and Africa.

Here are some of the best images of the August 2026 Blood Moon we've seen so far.

If you captured an image of the lunar eclipse, send us your images and they could appear in a future issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Thanks to Krum Kasabov for sending us this pic of the partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026, captured from Ryetop Park, Rainham, Kent, UK at 05:22 local time. "This image was taken just before the Moon disappeared behind the houses and as the sky was brightening, 40 mins before sunrise," says Krum. Equipment: Seestar S50 smart telescope Exposure: f/5, 1/20 sec, ISO 50014, 250mm focal length Software: Photoshop
Thanks to Krum Kasabov for sending us this pic of the partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026, captured from Ryetop Park, Rainham, Kent, UK at 05:22 local time. Equipment: Seestar S50 smart telescope. Exposure: f/5, 1/20 sec, ISO 50014, 250mm focal length. Software: Photoshop
Thanks to Lauren Hodgson-King for sending us this image of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK at 05:08 local time, which comes with quite a funny background story! "I wanted to set up my telescope in the garden but the Moon was behind a big tree," says Lauren, "so I ended up shooting this 1.3s exposure with my camera, holding it balanced on the bathroom tap out of the window of our loft room! Equipment: Canon EOS 77D DLSR camera, bathroom tap Exposure: ISO 400, 300mm, f/5.6, 1 1/3s
Thanks to Lauren Hodgson-King for sending us this image of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK at 05:08 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS 77D DLSR camera. Exposure: ISO 400, 300mm, f/5.6, 1 1/3s
A composite image showing the passage of the partial lunar eclipse over the southernmost part of Sicily, Italy, 28 August 2026, from 04:42 local time, by Giovanni Passalacqua. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 500mm lens, Manfrotto tripod Exposure: 3 shot ISO 200, 1/80s, f/6.3; 3 shot ISO 200, 1/30s, f/6.3; 1 shot ISO 320, 1/10s, f/8.0. Software: Photoshop
A composite image showing the passage of the partial lunar eclipse over the southernmost part of Sicily, Italy, 28 August 2026, from 04:42 local time, by Giovanni Passalacqua. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 500mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: 3 shot ISO 200, 1/80s, f/6.3; 3 shot ISO 200, 1/30s, f/6.3; 1 shot ISO 320, 1/10s, f/8.0. Software: Photoshop
Thanks to the Taverners Road Astronomy Club – 'Team TRAC' – for sending us this view of the partial lunar eclipse captured on 28 August 2026 from Ryetop Park, Rainham, Kent, UK at 04:57 local time
The Taverners Road Astronomy Club – 'Team TRAC' – captured this view of the partial lunar eclipse captured on 28 August 2026 from Ryetop Park, Rainham, Kent, UK at 04:57 local time. Equipment: Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Celestron NexStar 127SLT Maksutov-Cassegrain. Exposure: f/1.8, 1/13 sec, ISO 3200. Software: Photoshop
Sarah Fisher captured these views of the partial lunar eclipse and put together a fantastic mosaic, 28 August 2026 from Loxley Viewpoint, Warwick, UK. "A wonderful early morning for the deep partial lunar eclipse," says Sarah. Equipment: iPhone, Seestar S50 smart telescope
A mosaic of the partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 captured by Sarah Fisher Loxley Viewpoint, Warwick, UK. Equipment: iPhone, Seestar S50 smart telescope
Thanks to Vinny Whiteman for sending us this image of the partial lunar eclipse from Twyford, Berkshire, UK on the morning of 28 August 2026, 05:12 local time. Equipment: Sony A7 V camera, ZWO FF65 apo quintuplet refractor Telescope, 2x Barlow lens, untracked Exposure: ISO 1,000, 1.6s Software: CaptureOne, Photoshop
Vinny Whiteman captured this view of the partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 from Twyford, Berkshire, UK at 05:12 local time. Equipment: Sony A7 V camera, ZWO FF65 apo quintuplet refractor Telescope, 2x Barlow lens, untracked. Exposure: ISO 1,000, 1.6s. Software: CaptureOne, Photoshop
The lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 captured by Tom from Oxfordshire, UK
The lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 captured by Tom from Oxfordshire, UK
The partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 captured from Ankara, Turkiye. Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images
The partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 captured from Ankara, Turkiye. Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images
A seagull flies across Pegwell Bay during the partial lunar eclipse in Ramsgate, UK, 28 August 2026.. Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
A seagull flies across Pegwell Bay during the partial lunar eclipse in Ramsgate, UK, 28 August 2026.. Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
The partial lunar eclipse seen late on 27 August 2026 over Quito, Ecuador. Photo by Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images
The partial lunar eclipse seen late on 27 August 2026 over Quito, Ecuador. Photo by Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images
A passenger gets off a train as the partial lunar eclipse appears over Warsaw, Poland, 28 August 2026. Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP via Getty Images
A passenger gets off a train as the partial lunar eclipse appears over Warsaw, Poland, 28 August 2026. Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP via Getty Images
The partial lunar eclipse over Catania, Italy, 28 August 2026. Photo by Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images
The partial lunar eclipse over Catania, Italy, 28 August 2026. Photo by Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images
Author avatar

Iain Todd

Science journalist

Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor who has been writing about astronomy and space science for over a decade. He has covered major stargazing events, space launches and the latest news in cosmology, astrophysics, planetary and space science.
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