On the night of Sept. 7-8, Australia, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe will get a spectacular view of all phases of a “blood moon” total lunar eclipse.
During the event, which will last about five hours, the full Corn Moon will move through Earth’s shadow in space. It will gradually be engulfed by that shadow, taking on a copper-reddish color — hence the name “blood moon” — for 82 minutes, making it the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022.
Unlike a total solar eclipse, which can be seen only from within a narrow path of totality, a total lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere on Earth’s night side. Unfortunately for North America, it’s on the day side during this eclipse.
Despite that, this will be a highly visible eclipse: The total and partial phases will be observable by 5.8 billion people — about 71% of the world’s population. Among the first cities to experience totality will be Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Australia; Tokyo; and Seoul. The last will include Moscow; Ankara, Turkey; and Bucharest, Romania, with an eclipsed moon seen at moonrise from Western Europe.
Lunar eclipses are visible to the naked eye, and no special equipment is necessary. However, to zoom in on details of the lunar surface and really watch Earth’s shadow creep by, a good backyard telescope or a pair of stargazing binoculars will work wonders.
The last time a total lunar eclipse was visible from North America was a 65-minute eclipse on March 14, 2025, and the next one will be a 58-minute event on March 2-3, 2026, according to Time and Date.
Related: How to photograph the moon: Tips on camera gear, settings and composition
The Sept. 7-8 lunar eclipse will last a total of 5 hours, 27 minutes. The event begins at 11:28 a.m. EDT (15:28 UTC) on Sept. 7, with the full moon moving through Earth’s outer shadow, the penumbra, during which it will lose much of its brightness. As it begins to enter Earth’s darker inner shadow, the umbra, at 12:26 p.m. (16:26 UTC), a curved projection of Earth’s shadow will be seen gradually engulfing the moon.
Once the moon is fully inside the umbra, at 1:30 p.m. EDT (17:30 UTC), it will appear copper-red for 82 minutes, until 2:52 p.m. EDT (18:52 UTC). The spectacle will then go into reverse as the moon gradually exits the umbra and then the penumbra, before ending at 4:55 p.m. (20:55 UTC), according to EarthSky.
Livestreams of the total lunar eclipse will be provided from Cyprus by Time and Date and from Italy by The Virtual Telescope Project.