A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, causing the Moon to pass entirely into Earth’s darkest shadow, known as the umbra. This alignment blocks direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The popular term “Blood Moon” describes the Moon’s striking appearance during totality. The reddish or coppery hue captivates observers and has fueled interest in these events for centuries.
Understanding the “Blood Moon” Phenomenon
The crimson coloring of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse results from sunlight being filtered by Earth’s atmosphere. Even when the Moon is fully immersed in our planet’s shadow, some sunlight bends around the edges of the Earth, a process explained by Rayleigh scattering.
As the sun’s white light enters the atmosphere, small gas molecules preferentially scatter the shorter, bluer wavelengths away from the direct path. The longer, redder wavelengths are less affected and continue their path, refracting around the Earth’s limb into the umbra. This faint, reddish light is the only illumination that reaches the Moon’s surface during totality. The resulting glow makes the Moon appear in hues ranging from bright orange to deep red. The exact shade depends on the amount of dust, ash, or clouds present in Earth’s atmosphere.
The Date of the Most Recent Total Lunar Eclipse
The most recent total lunar eclipse occurred on September 7, 2025. This event was visible across a large portion of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe and Africa. It was not visible from the Americas, as the Moon had already set before totality began.
The total eclipse phase, where the Moon was fully immersed in the Earth’s umbra, began at 17:30 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and concluded at 18:52 UTC. Maximum eclipse took place at 18:11 UTC. The totality phase lasted approximately 82 minutes.
Viewers in prime locations, such as East Africa, India, and Western Australia, saw the entire event. The Moon’s position near perigee—its closest point to Earth—made its apparent size slightly larger than average. This event marked the second of two total lunar eclipses that occurred in 2025.
Calculating the Frequency of Total Lunar Eclipses
The occurrence of total lunar eclipses follows astronomical patterns based on the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. These events happen when the Moon is full and simultaneously crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, an intersection point known as a node. While lunar eclipses of all types typically occur two to four times per year, total eclipses are less frequent.
The timing of these alignments is governed by cycles, most notably the Saros cycle. This cycle lasts approximately 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours. After one Saros period, the Sun, Earth, and Moon return to nearly the same relative geometry, and a similar eclipse will repeat.
Because the Saros cycle is not an exact number of days, the location where the eclipse is visible shifts about one-third of the way westward around the globe each time. Although a total lunar eclipse is globally visible from any location on the night side of Earth, the local frequency—how often a single geographic location experiences totality—is much less common.
When is the Next Total Lunar Eclipse?
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on March 2-3, 2026. This event will be visible across parts of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and East Asia. For observers in the Americas, the Moon will move into the umbra during the early morning hours of March 3rd.
The total phase of the eclipse begins at 11:04 UTC on March 3, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 11:33 UTC. Totality for this event is projected to last 58 minutes. The best viewing conditions, where the entire eclipse can be seen, will be across the western half of North America and the Pacific Ocean region.
Viewers in Europe and Africa will observe the eclipse as the Moon sets, while those in Eastern Asia and Australia will see it as the Moon rises. This 2026 event will be the next instance of a “Blood Moon.” After this date, the next total lunar eclipse will not occur until December 31, 2028.