On Sunday 7 September 2025, UK observers were able to see a blood Moon total lunar eclipse rising above the horizon.
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Why lunar eclipses happen
A lunar eclipse – sometimes known as a blood Moon – takes place when the Sun, Earth and the Moon align in a straight line, with sunlight casting a reddish-brown hue on the Moon, hence the nickname 'Blood Moon'.
The dimming and change in colour of the Moon happen because Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
Only light that has been refracted, or bent, through Earth’s atmosphere manages to illuminate the Moon.
This atmospheric bending of sunlight is what gives the Moon its red appearance during the eclipse, leading to the term 'Blood Moon'.
Equipment: Nikon Z6II camera, Sigma 150-600mm lens @ 230mm, Sirui tripod. Exposure: f/7.1, ISO 3200, 1/4 seconds, ISO 3200. Software: Lightroom
How the blood Moon appeared from the UK
From the UK, the blood Moon total lunar eclipse on 7 September 2025 saw the Moon rise already in totality.
It appeared on the eastern horizon at about 19:45 BST (18:45 UT), around the time the Sun was setting.
Totality ended just as the Moon cleared the horizon.
Earth’s dark umbral shadow cleared the Moon’s disc shortly after moonrise.
See the Belt of Venus
In the UK, the blood Moon rose in the Belt of Venus, a name given to the pink-topped grey band that sits just above the opposite horizon to where the Sun sets.
As the evening progresses, the pink colour reduce dand the grey band deepened. This was Earth’s shadow rising as the Sun set in the opposite direction.
As the evening darkened, the portion of the Moon not covered by the umbral shadow increased, this being the final partial phase of the eclipse.
If you saw or photographed the blood Moon lunar eclipse over the UK on 7 September 2025, get in touch via contactus@skatnightmagazine.com
