September 7 Lunar Eclipse: A Global Showcase of the 'Blood Moon'

On the evening of September 7, the second and final total lunar eclipse of the year is set to occur. This celestial event will present the remarkable spectacle of a red “blood moon” visible across a significant portion of the world.

The Science Behind Total Lunar Eclipses

Total lunar eclipses transpire when the Earth positions itself precisely between the full moon and the sun, causing the moon to enter the shadow of our planet. Contrary to disappearing into darkness, the moon takes on a reddish hue. This is attributed to Rayleigh scattering.

Visible sunlight, which appears white, is in fact composed of various colors with distinct wavelengths. As these pass through the Earth's atmosphere, they interact differently. During a lunar eclipse, shorter - wavelength visible light, towards the blue end of the spectrum, scatters outward from the Earth - shadowed region. In contrast, longer - wavelength light, towards the red part of the spectrum, is refracted inward and projected onto the shadowed region and the moon's surface.

Viewing Opportunities

The first lunar eclipse of this year, in March, was optimally visible from the United States. Regrettably, if you are in the Americas, you will miss the live view of the blood moon this time. The totality phase of the September eclipse, during which the moon is within Earth's shadow and appears a deep red, will be observable across Asia, central and eastern Africa, and Australia. Timeanddate.com provides maps indicating the regions on the planet where the total eclipse is visible.

Eclipse Timings

The totality phase will commence at 17:30 UTC on September 7. The moment of maximum eclipse will occur approximately 40 minutes later, at 18:11 UTC, and totality will conclude an additional 40 minutes after that. Before and after totality, the moon will be in a partial eclipse state, with the shadow coverage increasing and then decreasing. Timeanddate.com also offers a city - lookup tool. By entering your location, you can determine the eclipse timings specific to your area.

Alternative Viewing

If you are not in the viewing zone but still wish to watch the event live, the Virtual Telescope Project, conceptualized and coordinated by Italian astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, will broadcast the eclipse and blood moon live on YouTube.

Perigee Connection

This total lunar eclipse will occur just under three days before the moon reaches perigee, the point of its closest approach to Earth. As a result, the moon will appear slightly larger than average during the eclipse.

Future Outlook

After September 7, the next total lunar eclipse will not occur until early March 2026. Fortunately for those in the US, it will be visible in North America, Australia, and east Asia.

This story was originally published on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.