DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) -Â Mark your calendars, night owls and stargazers! A spectacular late-night astronomical event is heading our way during the nighttime hours of Thursday, Aug. 27. A deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible across Illinois, offering a beautiful cosmic show right in our evening sky.
At the peak of this eclipse, Earth's shadow will sweep across approximately 96% of the Moon's face, leaving only a tiny, bright sliver untouched. This deep plunge into shadow often causes the Moon to glow with a striking orange, copper, or deep red hue — resembling a classic "Blood Moon." Even better, unlike solar eclipses, you don't need any special glasses to view it; it is perfectly safe to watch with the naked eye!
The Earth's penumbra will start us off early in the evening. This is the lighter, outer part of a shadow where a light source is only partly blocked. The Earth's umbra, on the other hand, is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where a light source is completely blocked.Â
Happy viewing, and fingers crossed the weather cooperates!
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