Total Lunar Eclipse on September 7 Will Create Blood Moon

September 2, 2025 — A total lunar eclipse will take place on the evening of September 7, giving much of the world a chance to witness a beautiful blood moon. This astronomical event occurs when the Earth moves between the full moon and the sun, casting its shadow on the moon.

During a total lunar eclipse, the moon does not completely disappear but instead takes on a reddish hue. This phenomenon happens due to Rayleigh scattering, where shorter blue wavelengths of light are scattered away, allowing the longer red wavelengths to illuminate the moon.

This year’s first lunar eclipse was visible in the United States, but this upcoming eclipse will not be viewable from the Americas. Regions in Asia, central and eastern Africa, and Australia are set to have the best views of the event.

The totality phase of the eclipse will begin at 5:30 p.m. UTC (1:30 p.m. ET) on September 7, with the maximum eclipse occurring approximately 40 minutes later at 6:11 p.m. UTC. Totality will last for about 82 minutes before the moon emerges from Earth’s shadow.

For those unable to see the eclipse live, the Virtual Telescope Project will provide a live broadcast online.

Interestingly, the total lunar eclipse falls just before the moon reaches perigee, making it appear slightly larger than usual. The next total lunar eclipse will not take place until early March 2026, offering a future opportunity for viewers in North America.