Fresh on the heels of August’s black moon is September’s full moon, which will be among the most interesting full moons of 2025. It’s coming with a total lunar eclipse, which also makes it a blood moon. Viewers in the US won’t be able to see the upcoming lunar eclipse, but the moon should appear redder than usual.
The total lunar eclipse, which takes place on Sept. 7, will be visible primarily in Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe and Eastern Africa. Most of the rest of Europe and Africa will see a partial eclipse, while North and South America are left out this time around.
A total lunar eclipse, or blood moon, occurs when the moon angles behind the Earth in such a way that the Earth blocks much of the sun’s light. What’s left passes through Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the moon, which filters out the blue light. That leaves only the sun’s red light to hit the moon and reflect to Earth, giving it a reddish glow.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, September’s full moon, also known as the corn moon, will see peak brightness at around 2:09 p.m. ET on Sept. 7. Since that’s the middle of the day, the best time to view the blood corn moon will be the evening of Sept. 6 or Sept. 7.
The moon will remain almost full for a couple of days immediately before and after Sept. 7, giving you several days to view the blood moon, although it may not appear as red.
How rare are lunar eclipses?
Total lunar eclipses are less frequent than partial eclipses, making September’s full moon a special occasion for those in the eclipse’s path. Since the Earth and the moon have stable orbits, they are also entirely predictable. The last lunar eclipse occurred in March 2025, with the one before in November 2022.
The next total eclipse is due in March 2026, but it will take place primarily in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where virtually no one will be able to see it. The next five will be New Year’s Eve in 2028, June 2029, December 2029 and then two more in 2032. Of those, only the one in 2029 will be visible in the US.
