Good morning, it’s Thursday and the weekend is almost upon us.
You know I feel some sort of way about skywatching.
Very early this morning, I was out for a pre-dawn walk with the dog and happened to catch a shooting star. I felt lucky and chosen somehow, which I know is silly, because anyone who was out at that time would have seen the same time. But it gave me the brief feeling of being part of something larger than myself and made me remember just how much mystery there is in the world.
This was pre-coffee, mind you. So many it was just a lack of caffeine fever dream sort of thing.
Anyway, for those of you who feel similarly about celestial events, I’ve got good news for you: A deep partial lunar eclipse will be peaking late tonight/early tomorrow morning, with all but a tiny sliver (less than 3 percent) of the moon slipping behind the Earth’s shadow.
According to Space.com, this will be “the best lunar eclipse until New Year’s Eve 2028”, which is saying something. At its peak, which will occur shortly after midnight, Eastern Daylight Time, tomorrow, Aug. 28, 96.2 percent of the moon will be covered by the Earth’s umbral shadow (the darkest part of the shadow where no light penetrates).
The small portion of the moon that remains visible will be illuminated by the sun, taking on an orange hue that gives this phenomenon its colloquial name an “almost blood moon.”
This eclipse will be widely viewable across Europe, Africa, and North and South America, though some areas will get a better view than others, depending on their position on the planet and, of course, the weather. If the clouds are not cooperating in your neck of the woods, (more on that in a moment), you can always follow along online here.
The best thing about a lunar eclipse is that it is completely safe to watch with the naked eye. You don’t need any special equipment or training or protection – just a relatively cloudless sky. And here’s where the bad news comes in….
The forecast today is calling for cloudy skies with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Some of the storms might contain strong, gusty winds, so be on the lookout for that. Temperatures during the day are likely to peak in the low 80s. Tonight, rain showers will continue and skies will remain overcast – not exactly optimal moon viewing conditions. But maybe we’ll get lucky.
If you do want to try your luck here, step outside shortly before midnight and be prepared to stick around for at least an hour or so to catch the show (or whatever the clouds part enough to allow glimpses of). Nights are cooling off, I’ve noticed, so bring your bug spray and wear long pants, socks, and a sweater/sweatshirt.
Or, of course, you can cozy up in front of the computer and go the online route…the choice is yours.
In the headlines…
The search for more than 1,000 people missing after a devastating Himalayan flood entered a second day on Thursday, as rescuers working along the border between Nepal and the Tibet region of China faced daunting challenges.
More than 1,300 people are missing – including at least 700 foreigners – after catastrophic flash flooding hit China and Nepal on Wednesday. At least 270 people are confirmed dead, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
The deadly flooding was likely set off at least in part by an enormous chunk of ice snapping off a glacier and cascading thousands of feet to the valley below, according to an initial assessment by a group of geologists and glaciologists.
Surveillance video from the Rasuwagadhi border crossing shows crowds try to flee a surging wall of mud but have nowhere to go as it hits them with horrific force, rows of buses and trucks swept aside like toys, and wreckage and destruction in mere moments.
Three U.S. Secret Service employees have been placed on leave pending an investigation into “potential misconduct,” the agency confirmed.
The three were operating in non-law-enforcement capacities and were being investigated for potential misconduct. However, the cause for the action remained unclear as the Office of Professional Responsibility was beginning its review.
One of the three is the Secret Service’s communications director, Anthony Guglielmi, who has worked at the agency since 2022.
A federal judge who blocked the most controversial aspect of President Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting mail-in ballots has now lifted that decision following the Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that legal challenges are premature.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to address the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas next month as Republicans look to energize voters ahead of November’s midterm elections and preserve the party’s trifecta in Washington, DC.
The auto industry would face an existential crisis if the U.S. and Canada don’t cool their trade war over the next four months. But the sector’s lobbyists are treading cautiously as they try to nudge the Trump administration back to the table.
Meta reached a landmark settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, agreeing to pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties and make major changes to its products over claims it endangered children with addictive social media platforms.
The settlement resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children’s mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people’s attention.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski asked the European Commission to fine Meta €250 million, alleging it is failing to tackle scams and fake ads on its platforms.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s annual DSA membership expired in 2019, and she didn’t rejoin until just this month – even though she has been a key endorser of other DSA candidates for years.
The New York AFL-CIO issued its endorsements for House races and snubbed several Democratic candidates — including socialist firebrand Daraliza Avila Chevalier, former City Comptroller Brad Lander and Long Island Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen.
Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said inquiries from blue state businesses — including a Rochester tech firm looking to escape New York’s tax burden — are pouring in as companies look to leave progressive governance.
If you read an op-ed attributed to a New York politician in the last few months, there’s a good chance that not all of it was written by a human being, but rather by using AI.
Smart glasses, the wearable technology donned by serial harassers and Kardashians alike, are no longer allowed in New York courts.
The immigration agreements New York sheriff’s departments have with federal agencies are narrow in scope and allow designated officers only to serve warrants and complete custodial transfers of migrants jailed on local criminal charges at their release.
Republican candidate for governor and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman will reluctantly comply with a state law that prohibits local police departments from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Blakeman said the county has terminated its 287(g) agreement with ICE. He displayed letters sent to the federal agency ending the arrangement and said the county is complying with the state law, though he disagrees with it.
New York may receive more than $1 billion from Facebook parent company Meta under a settlement agreement announced Wednesday as a trial was underway in a lawsuit brought against the company by a coalition of 48 states.
Governor Kathy Hochul opened the 2026 Great New York State Fair on Wednesday with a three-hour tour focused on farmers, tariffs, and President Trump’s escalating feud with our Canadian neighbors.
Hochul toured the historic fairgrounds in Syracuse with her husband, Bill Hochul, often holding the hand of their 4-year-old granddaughter, Sofia.
Trump said he’s “giving serious consideration” to changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” since he doesn’t expect “much business with Ontario any longer.” Hochul dismissed that as “silly talk.”
Hochul also said that she is “appalled” by the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict mail-in voting.
New York’s Amish community is issuing an ultimatum to state bureaucrats: leave us alone when it comes to vaccine mandates or we’re packing up our buggies for greener pastures.
After years of losing ground to other states, New York’s share of the nation’s millionaires increased in the latest available tax data.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has attracted more than a dozen executives to join his fledgling business advisory council, despite widespread fears among many Wall Street leaders that the mayor’s democratic socialist views will harm New York City’s economy.
A group of advocates and elected officials is calling on the Mamdani administration to ensure that private businesses that own public spaces in the city follow regulations and give all New Yorkers proper access to them.
Hit-and-run drivers have killed four New Yorkers over the last week, and now street safety advocates are questioning Mamdani’s commitment to the Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths across the five boroughs.
Mamdani is still confident that New York City’s new tax on high-value second homes will generate about $500 million a year, even as the city has begun clearing thousands of properties that were initially flagged as potentially subject to the surcharge.
The United Federation of Teachers has gone from endorsing Mamdani to fighting him in court, filing a legal motion supporting a City Council-approved $10,000 bonus for school paraprofessionals, which the mayor’s administration is suing to block.
The City Council next Tuesday will hold a hearing on Mamdani’s nominee to chair the City Board of Standards and Appeals, John Mangin, who has drawn objections from some members alarmed by his previous writings about the challenges to building housing.
Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn’s 11th-hour attempt to cling to power over the Brooklyn Democratic Party succeeded by a single vote Tuesday night, after a four-hour meeting in Southern Brooklyn.
A Brooklyn bar owner who says former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother tried to shake him down for cash is suing the city, both Caban brothers, and several NYPD officers, alleging he was forced out of business for refusing to play ball.
A notorious soft-on-crime Brooklyn judge is at it again — refusing to set bail for the gun-wielding thug accused of trying to kill another man and wounding a service dog.
After 17 years of teaching science at West Point, Dr. Adam Kalkstein says he was suddenly ordered last year to cut from his curriculum information about the human causes of climate change, according to a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Military Academy.
The backers of a proposed Albany County law that would have mandated parenting classes for the legal guardians of children convicted of crimes will be withdrawing the legislation after sustained public backlash.
Tim Walters, 36, the custodian who was caught living in Hackett Middle School, which he cleaned during the day, has decided to resign after working as an Albany City School District custodian for 17 years school, officials say.
Only one civil lawsuit — a wrongful death claim against Mavis Discount Tire — remains from the Schoharie limousine crash that killed 20 people nearly eight years ago, according to a recent court filing made by the judge assigned to oversee the cases before trial.
Albany County’s ban on certain kratom products is set to take effect Monday, drawing support from local lawmakers who say the restrictions should go even further.
Albany County officials say they are investigating a deferred compensation plan provider over possible fraudulent conduct, potentially affecting county employees and other public workers across New York.
The late Dolly Parton’s book program reaches more than 15,000 Capital Region children, and local leaders say keeping it going depends on continued donor support.
Veterans who rely on a health clinic in Schenectady County are facing disruptions as shutdown notices and canceled care continue to draw anger from patients and local leaders.
Plans are moving ahead for the Adirondack Balloon Festival Sept. 17- 20, with organizers promising a bigger event and a first look at new specialty balloons.
Tim Curry, the British-born actor whose gift for garish eccentricity lit up stage and screen, most notably as the outlandish, cross-dressing mad scientist in the midnight cult film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 80.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
