Are you watching tonight's total lunar eclipse?
The evening of 7–8 September will see a total lunar eclipse – sometimes known as a 'blood Moon' – rise in the night sky, visible across the UK and Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
More on the lunar eclipse
Not everyone across the world will get to see it, so if you're located in the region where the eclipse will be visible, you're in luck!
This is an evening lunar eclipse and, depending on where you're located in the world, you may have to stay up late on Sunday night and into the early hours of Monday morning to see it.
If you need a little encouragement to keep you from your bed, here are 6 reasons why you should tonight's blood Moon.
You'll see Earth's shadow on the Moon
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.
Normally, this alignment just causes a full Moon, when the Sun and the Moon are positioned so that sunlight hits the Earth-facing side of the Moon directly.
However, tonight for a brief period there will be something blocking that sunlight from hitting the full Moon.
And that 'something' is us!
During the lunar eclipse, you'll see Earth's shadow creep across the surface of the Moon.
And if you're located in the region where totality is visible, you'll eventually see the entire lunar disc basked in Earth's shadow.
The Moon will turn a dark, rusty red, caused by sunlight being refracted by Earth's atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface.
And thus, the clockwork mechanics of the Solar System are displayed in all their beauty.
A chance to see a well-known illusion
Any full Moon is a great time to observe a well-known effect called the 'Moon illusion'.
Find yourself a clear horizon and watch the Moon as it rises.
You may notice the Moon looks bigger than usual, and this is a common effect of observing a low-down full Moon.
Of course, the Moon illusion is all a matter of perspective, the Moon appearing to dwarf foreground objects and therefore seeming bigger than normal.
Or could it be a result of our perception of the night sky itself, which appears as a flat surface when in fact it's more like a dome, therefore making a celestial object on the horizon appear bigger?
The truth is, nobody really knows for sure.
So when you observe the Moon illusion tonight, you're witnessing a mystery that has likely enticed humanity since we first looked upwards.
If you're located in the UK and Europe, the Moon will already be eclipsed as it rises, meaning you'll see the blood Moon low on the horizon. That could make for a beautiful sight.
Further east of the UK and Europe, the full Moon will rise before it's eclipsed, in which case you get to witness two lunar phenomena in one evening.
It's easy to see, but beautiful
A total lunar eclipse is an amazing, arresting sight, and the good news is you don't need binoculars or a telescope to see it.
Unlike a solar eclipse, you don't even need eclipse glasses: it's perfectly safe to observe with the naked eye.
If the weather's clear and you can get a good view, that makes it a great event for everyone, kids and astronomy beginners included.
85% of the population can see the eclipse
According to numerous sources, about 85% of the world's population will be able to see all or part of this lunar eclipse.
That's because it's passing over countries like Russia, China and India, which are among the most populated in the world.
So while you're observing Earth's shadow passing across the surface of the Moon, you'll likely be joined by billions of other people across the globe.
The Moon meets Saturn
The total lunar eclipse of 7–8 September will be visible in the sky close to the planet Saturn.
Saturn will appear like a bright star either to the left or to the right of the Moon, depending on which hemisphere you're observing from.
On the evening of 8 September, Saturn will be even closer to the Moon, giving you a good excuse to get out and look up at the Moon again, the day after the eclipse.
Of course, Saturn isn't really close to the Moon: it just appears that way from our perspective.
But this is yet another great example of how we can visually perceive our place in the Solar System.
We're standing on planet Earth, the Sun is behind us, and we're gazing outwards along the flat disc of our Solar System, witnessing Saturn as a distant star about one billion miles away.
In the foreground of our view, there's the Moon, our natural satellite, giving us a perspective of the sheer vastness of our cosmic neighbourhood.
It's the final full Moon before three supermoons
Autumn and winter 2025 is a great time for fans of a full Moon.
We kick off with this total lunar eclipse, which is then followed by three consecutive supermoons, in October, November and December 2025.
'Supermoon' is the term given to a full Moon that occurs when the Moon is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit.
This is because the Moon's orbit around Earth isn't a perfect circle; it's elliptical, or egg-shaped.
When the Moon is furthest from Earth, it's known as 'apogee'. When it's closest, it's known as 'perigee'.
And 'syzygy' is a word describing an alignment of three or more celestial bodies.
So, if you want to be technical about it, another term for a supermoon is a 'perigee syzygy Moon'.
So as well as being a lunar eclipse, tonight's Moon is the last full Moon before we end 2025 with three supermoons in a row.
If you observe or photograph tonight's lunar eclipse, get in touch by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
