Near-total lunar eclipse lights up Lincoln County Skies

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Residents across Lincoln County had reason to look toward the night sky Thursday as a dramatic partial lunar eclipse transformed the full moon, offering views from Alamo and Hiko to Caliente and Panaca..

The eclipse occurred the evening of Thursday, Aug. 27, continuing into the early hours of Friday, Aug. 28, and was visible across much of North America.

Photo by Denise Houston
The lunar eclipse hangs over the Lincoln County landscape as stars shine above a quiet field.

For rural Lincoln County, where dark skies and limited light pollution often provide ideal conditions for stargazing, the celestial event offered another memorable nighttime show.

During a lunar eclipse, Earth moves between the sun and moon, causing Earth’s shadow to fall across the lunar surface. Unlike a solar eclipse, no special glasses or protective equipment are needed to safely watch a lunar eclipse.

This week’s event was especially impressive because it came close to being a total lunar eclipse. At its maximum, more than 90% of the moon was covered by Earth’s darker shadow, leaving only a small portion brightly illuminated.

As the eclipse progressed, much of the moon took on darker reddish and copper tones—the coloring often associated with what is commonly called a “blood moon.”

Photo by Jessica Hernandez-McCabe
Earth’s shadow passes across the moon during last week’s lunar eclipse, casting much of the lunar surface in shades of copper and red.

In Nevada, the partial phase began at approximately 7:33 p.m. Thursday, shortly after the moon rose above the eastern horizon. The eclipse reached its maximum at approximately 9:12 p.m. before Earth’s dark shadow gradually began moving away from the moon. The partial phase ended at approximately 10:51 p.m., with the lighter penumbral phase continuing until shortly after midnight.

The timing made the eclipse particularly accessible for families and residents who didn’t have to stay awake until the early morning hours to see the most dramatic portion.

From Alamo and Hiko, residents watched the changing moon rise over the rural landscape, while the same eclipse could be seen farther north in Panaca and Caliente and throughout much of Nevada.

The Aug. 27 eclipse was visible across a large portion of North and South America as well as portions of Europe and Africa.