Many sky-gazers around the world will get the chance to see a dazzling celestial display this weekend \u2014 a total lunar eclipse that could cause the moon to take on a deep reddish hue.<\/p>\n
The lunar eclipse will be visible Sunday for those in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia,\u00a0according to NASA<\/a>. As the sun, moon and Earth line up in their orbits, the moon will be cast into a crescent-shaped shadow before being fully blocked from the sun by Earth. At that point, some light from the sun will make it around the edges of Earth. Blue light will be scattered by air molecules while the remaining wavelengths will reflect off the moon making it appear to glow red \u2014 what is known as a\u00a0blood moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n The event will start at 11:28\u202fa.m. ET and end at 4:55 p.m. ET (though the eclipse will not be visible to those in the Eastern time zone). Totality \u2014 when the moon is completely covered by Earth\u2019s shadow \u2014 will start at 1:30 p.m. ET and last for about an hour and 23 minutes, according to\u00a0EarthSky<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beauty of a lunar eclipse is that it\u2019s gradual. For folks that have seen solar eclipses, they happen fairly rapidly. The lunar eclipse is a far more relaxed environment,\u201d said Noah Petro, chief of NASA\u2019s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be in a specific spot (to see it), but you have to be in the right hemisphere.\u201d<\/p>\n For those in North and South America who will not be able to view the eclipse, there will still be opportunities to observe a bright full moon this weekend, otherwise known as the corn moon.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what experts recommend for best viewing of the full moon and the total lunar eclipse.<\/p>\n A pair of lunar events<\/p>\n September\u2019s full moon \u2014 nicknamed the corn moon as it aligns with the season for harvesting corn, according to the\u00a0The Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 will peak around the same time as the lunar eclipse. But full moons appear round to the naked eye one day before and after their peak, so sky-gazers can observe the full moon all weekend and into Monday, Petro said.<\/p>\n For best viewing of the full moon and the total lunar eclipse, Petro recommends going outside and finding a spot away from bright lights, as they could hinder visibility of the natural satellite as it goes through all stages of the eclipse.<\/p>\n \u201cA lunar eclipse is a truly incredible sight, and something you can see without any special equipment \u2014 you do not need a telescope or even the special eclipse glasses that you need for a solar eclipse,\u201d Sara Russell, research scientist and head of the Planetary Materials Group at London\u2019s Natural History Museum, said in an email. But having binoculars or a telescope available could add to the viewing experience, Russell noted.<\/p>\n The moon turns red once it is completely blocked by Earth\u2019s shadow, illuminated by red-orange light from the\u00a0sunsets and sunrises<\/a>\u00a0on the Earth, Petro said.<\/p>\n Occasionally, directly before and following totality, the moon can appear to have a\u00a0blue<\/a>\u00a0and purple band of light upon it. This phenomenon is caused by sunlight passing through the Earth\u2019s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, Russell said.<\/p>\n While full moons occur every 29 days, lunar eclipses typically only happen about twice a year when the sun, moon and Earth align. For those who may be feeling left out, the next total lunar eclipse is set to take place on\u00a0March 3<\/a>\u00a0and will be visible in parts of North and South America, Petro said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always happy to see the full Moon, whether there is an eclipse or not,\u201d Russell said. \u201cThe Moon formed in the very earliest times of the Earth\u2019s history, and the Earth and Moon have been through a lot together. You can see the evidence of that with the naked eye, looking up to see all the craters on the Moon that have been formed over 4.5 billion years of history.\u201d<\/p>\n Upcoming celestial events<\/p>\n The next three full moons will be supermoons \u2014 full moons that occur when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than regular full moons.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the\u00a0Farmers\u2019 Almanac<\/a>:<\/p>\n October 6: Harvest moonNovember 5: Beaver moonDecember 4: Cold moon<\/p>\n Two weeks after the total lunar eclipse, on September 21, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Australia, the Atlantic, the Pacific and Antarctica. This occurs when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, blocking part of the sun\u2019s light from view.<\/p>\n There are also opportunities to observe other solar system activity, including several meteor showers that will grace the night sky in the following months.<\/p>\n