A Total Lunar Eclipse Turns the Harvest Moon Red
This Sunday, September 7th, the sky will deliver one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles: a total lunar eclipse, often called a “blood moon.” For about 85% of the world’s population, the full harvest moon will appear transformed as it slips into Earth’s shadow and takes on an eerie copper-red glow.
Here’s what happens: the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the Moon from direct sunlight. But the Moon doesn’t disappear completely. Instead, sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere is refracted, or bent, around the planet. The shorter wavelengths of light, like blue and green, get scattered away, while the longer red and orange wavelengths keep going. That filtered light bathes the Moon, giving it those deep red and copper tones that people all around the world recognize as the “blood moon.”
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The eclipse will begin with a subtle dimming known as the penumbral phase around 15:28 UTC. Then, as the Moon slowly slides into Earth’s full shadow, the drama builds until totality begins around 17:30 UTC. That phase will last for about an hour and twenty minutes. For observers in the right locations, it will be a long, mesmerizing show where the Moon seems to hang in the sky as a glowing ember.
Visibility, though, depends on where you are. For people in North America, it’s a bit of bad luck this time—the eclipse will occur during the daytime, so the Moon won’t be visible. In Europe, especially the eastern regions, the eclipse will appear in the evening sky, with the Moon already partly eclipsed as it rises. Across much of Africa, visibility will be excellent. Asia will also see most, if not all, of the event, including regions such as India, China, and Southeast Asia. In Oceania—from Australia to New Zealand—the eclipse will be perfectly placed, high in the night sky during totality.
For those in places like Quebec who won’t catch this round, patience will be rewarded. The next total lunar eclipse will occur overnight from March 3rd to 4th, 2026, and it will be visible there.
Adding another layer of fascination, this eclipse coincides with the full Moon in Pisces, which astrologers say heightens intuition, creativity, and emotional depth. Some zodiac signs may feel especially stirred during this cosmic alignment, while others may see it as a time of transformation or clarity. Whether one follows astrology or not, it’s clear that this lunar eclipse is set to make an impression both visually and symbolically.
So, wherever you are, if you find yourself under the right sky on Sunday night, look up. The universe is about to paint the Moon in fiery hues, and it won’t be a sight you’ll soon forget.
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