A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red for millions across Asia and Europe overnight on Sept. 7-8.
A total lunar eclipse will occur overnight on Sunday (Sept. 7) into the early hours of Monday (Sept. 8), creating a striking red 'blood moon' for skywatchers across Asia, Western Australia and Europe.
The will reach its maximum phase, when the moon is fully immersed in Earth's dark umbral shadow, at 5:11 p.m. EDT (21:11 GMT) on Sept. 7.
is completely engulfed in Earth's umbral shadow, will last for approximately 82 minutes.
Key totality viewing times according to across different time zones include:
London (BST): 7:30 p.m. – 7:52 p.m. (Sept. 7) — moon rises already in eclipse
Paris (CEST): 7:30 p.m. – 8:52 p.m. (Sept. 7) — visible low on the horizon
Cape Town (SAST): 7:30 p.m. – 8:52 p.m. (Sept. 7)
Istanbul/Cairo/Nairobi (EEST/EAT): 8:30 p.m. – 9:52 p.m. (Sept. 7)
Tehran (IRST): 9:00 p.m. – 10:22 p.m. (Sept. 7)
Mumbai (IST): 11:00 p.m. (Sept. 7) – 12:22 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Bangkok (ICT): 12:30 a.m. – 1:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Beijing (CST): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Hong Kong (HKT): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Perth (AWST): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Tokyo (JST): 2:30 a.m. – 3:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Sydney (AEST): 3:30 a.m. – 4:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
Almost 77% of the world's population will be able to witness the entire total phase of this eclipse, according to Time and Date.
If you're unable to catch the in person, you can . We'll also be livestreaming the event on Space.com so you can enjoy the from the comfort of your own home. Follow along with the latest updates in our .
What will happen
The eclipse begins as the moon enters Earth's penumbral shadow, causing a subtle shading effect. As it moves deeper into the umbra, a dark shadow will creep across the lunar surface until, during "totality," it turns a reddish-orange hue. The exact shade of the blood moon depends on Earth's atmospheric conditions at the time of the eclipse.
This eclipse occurs just 2.7 days before the moon reaches perigee (its closest point to Earth), meaning the moon will appear slightly larger than usual in the night sky. Because this total eclipse will sit deep within Earth's umbra, the darkest part of our planet's shadow, the moon is expected to turn a rich, dark red.