How to See the ‘Blood Moon’ Whole Lunar Eclipse This Weekend

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On the evening of Sunday, September 7 into the morning of September 8, the sky will deal with nearly all of the world to a complete lunar eclipse, often known as a “blood moon.” For greater than an hour, the complete moon will slip into Earth’s shadow and glow a deep, coppery crimson. Roughly 85% of the world’s inhabitants may have an opportunity to see the entire eclipse, making this some of the broadly seen celestial events of the year. Below, we break down the place and when you’ll be able to expertise the astronomical phenomenon this weekend. (For the astrologically curious, our September 2025 horoscope dives into how eclipse season may shake up your travels this month.)

What is a complete lunar eclipse?

A complete lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes by the Earth’s shadow, or umbra, turning its luminous silvery-white floor a deep orange-red. Lunar eclipses solely occur when the solar, Earth, and moon are aligned simply proper—the Earth has to cross immediately between the solar and the moon. This does not occur each month as a result of the moon’s orbit is tilted.

Lunar eclipses have a number of phases. Up first is the penumbral eclipse, when the moon strikes into the faint outer shadow of the Earth, referred to as the penumbra. During this part, the moon’s floor dims solely barely. Once the moon reaches the umbra, or the denser a part of the Earth’s shadow, it turns into a partial eclipse—that is when the coppery-red hue creeps onto the floor of the moon, slowly “consuming” the complete circle. Once all the moon is roofed by the umbra, the eclipse turns into a complete eclipse.

An attention-grabbing quirk about lunar eclipses is that they solely happen throughout full moons, because of the particular alignment needed for the phenomenon. The Sept. 7-8 whole lunar eclipse will occur through the full “corn” moon, a nickname that comes from the Farmer’s Almanac, which names moons primarily based on Native American traditions. Thus, September’s moon derives its title from the seasonal corn harvest.

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There’s loads of sightseeing to do within the sky, too.

When and the place can I see the eclipse?

Most of the world’s inhabitants will be capable of see the Sept. 7-8 whole lunar eclipse. Viewers throughout Eastern Africa, most of Asia, the western half of Australia, and East Antarctica will be capable of see everything of the eclipse, from the penumbral part to totality and again once more. Regions to the east and west of this zone—together with Europe, the remainder of Africa, and the remainder of Australia—will see at the very least a part of the eclipse. Unfortunately, in case you reside within the Americas, you are out of luck. The eclipse will happen throughout daylight right here, so it will not be seen.

As for timing, totality through the Sept. 7-8 eclipse is very long-lasting—the moon will stay darkened for 82 minutes—whereas the entire eclipse will final practically 5.5 hours. The under chart shares the occasions of every part of the eclipse.

Be positive to transform UTC to your time zone. You can use websites like TimeAndDate.com, which additionally has a really useful eclipse page that can assist you determine what’s seen in your location and when.

In order to see the eclipse, all you must do is take a look at the moon; no telescopes, binoculars, or particular glasses are wanted. (Solar eclipses, then again, should solely be seen with eye safety.)

Why is it referred to as a “blood moon”?

During totality, the moon takes on a coppery crimson hue—that is why some discuss with it as a “blood moon.” This colour change occurs as a result of daylight passes by Earth’s environment earlier than reaching the moon. The environment scatters shorter wavelengths of sunshine, equivalent to blues and greens, whereas permitting longer crimson wavelengths to filter by. It’s the identical cause sunrises and sunsets tackle warm-toned colours.

When is the subsequent whole lunar eclipse?

The subsequent whole lunar eclipse will occur on March 2–3, 2026, and it will likely be seen throughout North America, the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, and East Asia. During this eclipse, totality will final 58 minutes.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

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