A blood moon lights up the sky during the total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025, in Ontario, Canada.
(Chen Shaojin/VCG via Getty Images)
Over 7 billion people around the globe have a pretty incredible sight to look forward to next month when a “blood moon” total lunar eclipse takes place between Sept. 7 and 8. However, this one won’t be viewable anywhere in the United States, so if you want to see it, you’ll need to make your travel plans now.
What It Is
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon is covered by the Earth’s shadow, or umbra. On average, the Earth gets 1.5 total lunar eclipses per year. The last one occurred between March 13-14, 2025, and was viewable from most of North and South America.
Where To See It
People in India, China, Russia, western Australia, east Africa and the regions surrounding central Asia should be able to see the whole event, weather permitting. If you live in the very western part of Alaska, you might be able to see a partial lunar eclipse.
Where the Sept. 7 total lunar eclipse will be visible.
(NASA)
Why Is It Called A ‘Blood Moon’?
The moon looks red during a total lunar eclipse because the sunlight hitting it has to pass through Earth’s atmosphere before hitting the moon (remember the order — the Earth is directly between the sun and the moon during a lunar eclipse).
As that sunlight moves through our atmosphere, shorter wavelengths (like blue) get scattered, or dispersed, to a greater extent than longer wavelengths (like red). Since the red light is less scattered, it gets refracted toward the moon, providing the “blood” color these eclipses are so well known for.
Do I Need Glasses To See The Total Lunar Eclipse?
No special equipment like eclipse glasses will be needed to view the lunar eclipse. That’s because when you view it, you aren’t looking directly at the sun.
Telescopes and binoculars aren’t necessary, but they will give you a better view. So will moving away from bright light.
How To Photograph The Red Moon With A Phone
Your smartphone can potentially capture great images of the blood moon total lunar eclipse, and this is where a telescope can be especially useful.
But first, remember that stability is key. For the most amazing images, you’ll want to use a tripod or similar equipment, and put your phone camera up to the telescope’s eyepiece.
Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s newsletter.