By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Published: 19:07 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 19:59 BST, 24 August 2026
A partial lunar eclipse will turn the moon a copper-red color, creating an eerie blood moon visible across all 48 lower US states.
The celestial event, slated for Thursday evening, August 27, and into Friday, occurs when the sun, Earth and moon line up imperfectly. Only a part of the Moon moves into Earth’s dark inner shadow, called the umbra.
Although the event will not be a total lunar eclipse, approximately 96 percent of the moon will pass into Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of its shadow.
Meteorologists say that should be enough to give much of the lunar surface the reddish hue. The partial lunar eclipse will begin at 10.34pm ET Thursday. It will peak at 12.12am Friday, before ending at 1.51am.
While scientists emphasize the natural beauty of the phenomenon, the blood moon has also sparked apocalyptic speculation online. Some social media users suggest it could be 'the one mentioned in the Bible.'
One X user said: 'Considering the convergence of world events and planetary changes, it sort of evokes Joel 2:31.'
The referenced verse reads: 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.'
Joel 2:31 symbolizes cosmic disturbances and divine judgment, and is often interpreted as signaling a time of impending danger for the wicked and salvation for the faithful.
A partial lunar eclipse will turn the moon a copper-red color, creating an eerie blood moon visible across all 48 lower US states
The blood moon has long been tied to biblical prophecy, often seen as a warning of cosmic upheaval or divine judgment.
Several passages in the Bible describe the moon turning red, signaling a major event or God's intervention.
Key references include Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20, which echoes the same imagery, and Revelation 6:12, which describes the moon becoming like blood during apocalyptic events.
Believers often interpret these verses as signs that a blood moon could herald a time of upheaval, judgment for the wicked, or salvation for the faithful, giving the August eclipse a heightened sense of spiritual significance.
