A composite image showing the phases of the total lunar eclipse on September 27, 2015. (Image credit: Gemma via Getty Images)
On the night of September 7-8, residents of Australia, Asia, Africa and some parts of Europe will be able to see a breathtaking spectacle of all phases of a total lunar eclipse – the “blood moon”.
During the event, which will last about five hours, the full Corn Moon will pass through Earth's cosmic shadow. It will gradually become engulfed by that shadow, turning a coppery reddish color — hence the name “blood moon” — for 82 minutes, making it the longest eclipse since 2022.
Unlike a total solar eclipse, which can only be seen in a narrow band of totality, a total lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere on the night side of the Earth. Unfortunately for North America, it is on the day side during this eclipse.
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Despite this, it will be a very visible eclipse: the total and partial phases will be visible to 5.8 billion people – about 71% of the world’s population. Among the first cities to see the total phase will be Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (Australia), Tokyo and Seoul. The last cities will be Moscow, Ankara (Turkey) and Bucharest (Romania), where the lunar eclipse will be visible during its rise in Western Europe.
Lunar eclipses are visible to the naked eye and require no special equipment. However, to see the lunar surface in detail and actually see the Earth's shadow creeping by, a good home telescope or stargazing binoculars will do wonders.
According to Time and Date, the last total lunar eclipse visible in North America lasted 65 minutes and occurred on March 14, 2025, and the next one will last 58 minutes and occur on March 2-3, 2026.
The lunar eclipse on September 7-8 will last a total of 5 hours and 27 minutes. It will begin at 11:28 a.m. ET (15:28 UTC) on September 7, when the full Moon passes through the outer region of the Earth's shadow, the penumbra, during which it will fade significantly in brightness. As it begins to enter the darker inner shadow, the umbra, at 12:26 p.m. (16:26 UTC), a curved projection of the Earth's shadow will be visible gradually covering the Moon.
Once the Moon enters the umbra completely, at 1:30 p.m. ET (17:30 UTC), it will appear copper-red for 82 minutes, until 2:52 p.m. ET (18:52 UTC). Then, according to EarthSky, the effect will reverse, with the Moon gradually moving out of umbra and then penumbra, ending at 4:55 p.m.
The total lunar eclipse will be broadcast live from Cyprus by Time and Date, and from Italy by The Virtual Telescope Project.
Jamie Carter, Social Link Navigator, Live Science Contributor
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, UK. He is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Stargazing and lectures on astronomy and nature. Jamie writes regularly for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine, Scientific American and many other publications. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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