In the night of 7-8 September the moon will slide into the shade of the earth, get dark and shift from silver to red during a total lunar eclipse. Although this will not be visible from America, a large part of the eastern hemisphere will have a perfect view to see the impressive long totality of 82 minutes.
This will be the second lunar eclipse of 2025, and thanks to its visibility in some of the world's most populated geographical regions, almost 6 billion people have on the first rice chairs for this Sky show.
What happens during a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth passes directly between the sun and the moon and casts its shadow over the moon surface. While the moon in the deeper, central part of the shade of the earth, the Umbra is called, the well -known silvery glow shifts to a distinctive copper or reddish shade. Because the lane of the moon is tilted, moon eclipse does not occur every month when there is a full moon, which takes place only two or three times a year and is only visible on one half of the earth.
((Here are the PHases of the Moon explained.))
Why does the moon turn red?
During the totality, sunlight that flows through the atmosphere of the earth is bent and spread, filters the blue light and shine the savior wavelengths on the moon. That is why it deserves the nickname 'Blood Moon'. Depending on the atmospheric conditions of our planet, the shade can vary from bright orange to deep, rusty red. Predictions for this solar eclipse suggest a fairly bright orange red disc, because the atmosphere of the earth is relatively free of volcanic debris and heavy dust at the moment.
In addition to a telescope, people gather to view the full moon, also known as the “Blood Moon” in Caracas on March 14, 2025. Photo by Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty images
The fully overshadowed moon glowed red in November 2022, placed against the stars of Ram. At the position of 10 hours the weak green -like light of Uranus appears only a few monthly diameters away. Composite photo by Alan Dyer, VWPics/Redux
What happens during a lunar eclipse?
The Eclips from September is a total, which means that the shadow of the earth will flood the entire moon. All eclipse phases unfold for about five and a half hours.
Here are the most important moments in Universal Time (UTC):
Penumbral Eclipse starts: 15: 28 UTC
Partial eclipse starts: 16:27 UTC
Total Eclipse starts: 17:30 UTC
Greatest Eclipse: 18:11 UTC
Total Eclipse ends: 18:52 UTC
Partial eclips ends: 19:56 UTC
Penumbrale Eclipse ends: 20:55 UTC
The absolute 'must-see' moments will be during the total phase when the moon has its deepest color, which lasts 82 minutes, which not only gives observers a lot of time to catch views, but also makes this one of the longest moments of the totality of the decade.
Best places to view the eclips
In contrast to the Eclipse in March, this event will be invisible in September in North and South America, because the Eclipse unfolds during their day hours. Instead, Asia and West -Australia will enjoy the best view of the entire eclips from start to finish during their overnight times. In the meantime, large parts of Europe and Africa will see the full moon rising shortly after the local sunset, with the eclips already going well. Thanks to its visibility in densely populated regions, the majority of the world's population will be able to see this blood moon firsthand.
The moon moves through the shadow of the earth during the total moon conclipse of 28 August 2007, seen over the Siskiyou mountains and the Shasta mountain in southern Oregon. Composite photo by Sean Bagshaw, Science Photo Library
How you can view and record the Eclipse
Unlike solar eclipses, no special glasses are needed to view a lunar eclipse. Just look for a dark sky with a clear view. A smartphone or digital camera on a tripod can make dramatic recordings, especially with shorter lighting times that emphasize the details of the moon against an foreground of the landscape. Office binoculars or small telescopes can add even more perspectives by giving you zoomed in view, with craters and mountains bathed in creepy reddish light.
Something else to catch in the night sky
During the 82 minutes of totality, the moon gets enough darker to let the surrounding night sky come to life with stars. Skywatchers with sharp eyes perhaps brands a bright yellow-tinted light point near the moon, which is Planet Saturn. A small telescope in the back garden will reveal the famous rings of the gas giant, along with another very vague blue -green dot in the neighborhood that is the distant large planet in the solar system, Neptune.
((10 Nocturnal Heaven Events to see in September.)
If you are unlucky by being clouded or stuck on the wrong side of the earth, then view all celestial action online with a live stream of the lunar eclipse of various geographical locations supplied by the virtual telescopic project.
And for those who missed this year, the next lunar eclipse will take place on 2-3 March 2026. This time it will be visible in Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, America, America and even the Polar regions.
