A blood moon lunar eclipse will delight space enthusiasts this weekend, offering a glimpse of the spectacular phenomenon for the second time this year.
The lunar eclipse will occur on the night of Sept. 7 and will be visible across Asia and Western Australia with night sky watchers possibly able to catch it from Europe, Africa, eastern Australia, and New Zealand, Space.com reported. Unfortunately, the eclipse will not be visible from either North or South America.
The spectacle of a blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse when the Earth lines up between the Moon and the Sun, giving the moon a red glow, according to NASA.
“When this happens, the only light that reaches the Moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA wrote. “The air molecules from Earth’s atmosphere scatter out most of the blue light. The remaining light reflects onto the Moon’s surface with a red glow, making the Moon appear red in the night sky.”
Each year, the Earth experiences about two lunar eclipses, Space.com noted. Total lunar eclipses—and blood moons as a result—are even more rare with only about 29 percent of all lunar eclipses being total eclipses. That translates to people seeing one about once every two and a half years if they are staying in the same place.
In March, the United States experienced a total lunar eclipse for the first time since 2022, which was visible from every state in the country. The next total lunar eclipse visible in North America is expected to occur on March 3, 2026, according to NASA. That will be followed by a partial lunar eclipse from Aug. 27 to 28, 2026.
For those in the path of this month’s eclipse, they will experience an impressive 82 minutes of totality with the whole event expected to last more than five hours, according to Live Science.
Space aficionados not in the path can still join in on the celestial fun. Explore the interactive eclipse map on Time and Date or check out the live stream from the Virtual Telescope Project, which will air starting at 1:45 p.m. ET on Sept. 7.
Beyond lunar eclipses, the Earth will experience a total solar eclipse next year with Iceland set to be one of the best places in the world to see it. Travelers hoping to experience the event with even less light pollution should consider going on a cruise.