Here’s everything you need to know about tomorrow’s Blood Moon lunar eclipse and why it is so special
This is a total lunar eclipse, where you can see the moon dyed red. This happens when the earth comes between the sun and the moon.(Image: Getty Images)
A Blood Moon will glow in UK skies tomorrow. On the evening of September 7, 2025, this month’s full Moon will rise, bringing with it a lunar eclipse.
The longest total lunar eclipse in nearly three years, with totality, will be visible from Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Here are five important facts about the September 2025 Blood Moon – and why it’s not one to miss.
Seven billion people will see it
People are anticipating the upcoming lunar eclipse all over the globe. The event will be visible from Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe, with more than seven billion people in with a chance of seeing at least some of its total phase. According to the tracking website Time and Date, that’s nearly 86 per cent of the global population.
Nearly five billion people are expected to see the entire eclipse from beginning to end. While the UK will only be able to catch a glimpse of the final half of the eclipse, lucky observers in the easternmost parts of Africa, the Middle East, most of Asia and western Australia will be able to see the whole thing.
The Moon will turn red
The Moon usually glows a brilliant white in our skies as it reflects light from the Sun. However, during a lunar eclipse, it passes through Earth’s shadow, creating a signature red glow.
This happens because Earth’s atmosphere bends sunlight, scattering out blue light and allowing warmer red and orange hues to wash over the Moon. This is why a lunar eclipse is commonly known as a ‘Blood Moon’.
A Blood Moon glows red due to the way Earth’s atmosphere filters sunlight(Image: Getty Images)
The exact shade of this weekend’s eclipse will depend on the conditions of Earth’s atmosphere, with high levels of dust or cloud cover bringing a higher chance of a deeper, more vibrant shade of red.
It’s the longest lunar eclipse since 2022
The September 7 eclipse will be the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022, with a totality phase 1 hour and 22 minutes. The November 2022 eclipse was 1 hour and 25 minutes.
From beginning to end, the entire cosmic event will last 5 hours and 27 minutes. The timings of the Blood Moon lunar eclipse are as follows (all in BST):
- Penumbral phase: 4.28pm (before moonrise in UK)
- Partial eclipse begins: 5.27pm (before moonrise in UK)
- Total Eclipse begins: 6.30pm (before moonrise in UK)
- Maximum eclipse: 7.11pm (about 20 minutes before moonrise)
- Moonrise: 7.30pm
- Total eclipse ends: 7.52pm
- Partial eclipse ends: 8.56pm
- Penumbral eclipse ends: 9.55pm
The Blood Moon will be visible just after moonrise in the UK(Image: Getty Images)The eclipse i
Lunar eclipses can only happen during a full Moon because they happen when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned.
Sunday’s cosmic event will be a lunar eclipse of the 2025 Corn Moon. Each month’s full Moon is given a nickname – for instance, January’s full Moon is called the Wolf Moon and June’s full Moon is called the Strawberry Moon.
The Corn Moon is named after the time of year when crops are gathered at the end of the summer season. In late Summer-early Autumn, at the time of this full Moon, corn harvesting takes place in North America, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac.
It is also commonly known as the Harvest Moon as it is the nearest full Moon to the autumnal equinox.
It proves Earth isn’t flat
A lunar eclipse offers simple proof that Earth isn’t flat. When Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, it casts a perfectly round shadow on the lunar surface.
If Earth were a flat disk, its shadow would appear elongated and change shape depending on its orientation.
The fact that the shadow is always round no matter where you are in the world when the eclipse occurs, shows that Earth is spherical.