September’s full moon is approaching, and avid stargazers won’t want to miss a chance to see the blood moon.
The full moon on Sept. 7 coincides with a total lunar eclipse, meaning the sun, moon and Earth align in a straight line, causing the moon to be bathed in a copper, reddish light.
The last blood moon was in March, where folks in the U.S., Central and South America were able to see the reddish-orange moon for about about three hours on March 13 and 14.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming blood moon, including how and where to watch the total lunar eclipse.
When Is the Full Moon?
The next full moon is on Sept. 7, and parts of the world will see a lunar eclipse along with it.
NASA said the best visibility for the total lunar eclipse in September will be in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Folks in those regions will just need to look up in the sky — no protective glasses or eyewear necessary like experts urged for 2024’s total solar eclipse last year throughout the U.S.
Astronomy enthusiasts in North America might be missing out on the blood moon, but the Old Farmer’s Almanac calls the September full moon the “corn moon” due to it corresponding with the season for harvesting corn.
The almanac said the full moon will reach peak illumination at 2:09 p.m. ET and reminded people to look for it after sunset on Sept. 7.
It will only be a few months until another total lunar eclipse will be visible in parts of the Americas on March 3, 2026, according to NASA.
Is There a Blood Moon Tonight?
A total lunar eclipse will be visible during the next full moon on Sept. 7 for the half of Earth opposite the Americas.
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, and some of the sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere reaches the moon’s surface, lighting it dimly, according to NASA.
Colors with shorter wavelengths, like blue and violet, scatter more easily. But colors with longer wavelengths, like red and orange, are able to make it through Earth’s atmosphere, leading the moon to look orange or red — hence the nickname, blood moon.
NASA added that the moon will appear more or less red depending on how much dust or clouds are in the atmosphere during the eclipse.
Why Is the Moon Orange Today?
Michael Shanahan, the director of the Liberty Science Center Planetarium in Jersey City, New Jersey, previously told TODAY.com the copper or red appearance of the moon is due to the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The reason is because our atmosphere blocks blue light coming from the sun, but the longer wavelengths of red light make it through our atmosphere to the moon to produce the effect,” Shanahan said.
When Are the Next Full Moons?
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, there are three full moons left in 2025:
Oct. 6, or the harvest moonNov. 5, beaver moonDec. 4, cold moon
There will also be a partial lunar eclipse on Sept. 21, which happens when the moon passes through part of the Earth’s shadow and only partially covers the moon, according to NASA.
The partial lunar eclipse is expected to be seen in parts of Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, according to NASA.