A Total Lunar Eclipse to Remember: The September 2025 Blood Moon
Get ready for a spectacular celestial event! A total lunar eclipse, often referred to as a Blood Moon, will grace the night sky on the night of September 7-8, 2025. This event is the second total lunar eclipse of the year and promises to be a dramatic sight for billions of people across the globe.
What Makes a “Blood Moon”?
A Blood Moon isn’t a scientific term, but it’s a popular name for a total lunar eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. While you might expect the Moon to disappear completely, it instead takes on a beautiful reddish-orange hue. This is due to a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering—the same process that makes sunsets and sunrises appear red.
Sunlight, which is composed of all colors of the rainbow, must pass through Earth’s atmosphere to reach the Moon. As the light travels through our atmosphere, the shorter, bluer wavelengths are scattered away by air molecules. The longer, red and orange wavelengths are less affected and are bent, or refracted, toward the Moon. This filtered light is what illuminates the lunar surface during totality, giving it its distinct “blood” red appearance.
When and Where to Watch
The September 2025 total lunar eclipse will be a global event, with different phases visible depending on your location. The best views of the entire eclipse from start to finish will be for those in Asia and Western Australia. People in Europe, Africa, eastern Australia, and New Zealand will also be able to see at least a portion of the eclipse.
The full eclipse will occur between 15:28 and 20:55 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) on Sunday, September 7, 2025. The most dramatic part, totality, when the Moon is completely immersed in Earth’s darkest shadow, will last for about 82 minutes, from 17:30 to 18:52 UTC.
Because the eclipse will not be visible in the Americas, skywatchers in the Western Hemisphere can still experience the event through a free online stream.
How to View the Eclipse
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to view with the naked eye and doesn’t require any special equipment. For an enhanced experience, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope will provide a closer look at the Moon’s surface as it changes color.
To make sure you don’t miss the event, check the local times for totality in your region and find a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon, especially if you’re in Europe or Africa where the moon will rise already eclipsed.