Sunday September 7, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — A total lunar eclipse will unfold Sunday evening, casting a red glow over the moon and offering a rare spectacle for millions across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and western Australia.
The eclipse will begin at 4:28 p.m. GMT and end at 9:55 p.m., with the period of totality lasting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:52 p.m. Unlike solar eclipses, it can be viewed safely with the naked eye. Observers across much of Africa are expected to have one of the clearest vantage points.
Astronomers say the so-called “blood moon” effect occurs when Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. As light bends through the atmosphere, shorter blue wavelengths scatter while longer red wavelengths remain, leaving the moon bathed in copper and crimson tones.
“This is something worth watching because you’ll see the moon change right before your eyes,” said Dr. Edward Bloomer of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. “It’s not supernatural, it’s simply Earth’s atmosphere filtering sunlight.”
The eclipse will not be visible in North America. In the United Kingdom, the moon will rise during the event, providing eastern cities, such as Norwich, with the longest viewing window. At the same time, cloud cover is expected to obscure the skies in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The last total lunar eclipse visible from the UK occurred in 2022. The next will not come until Aug. 28, 2026.
Meteorologists expect heavy rain and thunderstorms across northeast England on Sunday, though skies across England and Wales are forecast to clear by nightfall. Across Africa and parts of Asia, mostly clear conditions are expected to provide favourable viewing.
A lunar eclipse takes place when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, darkening the lunar surface as the planet’s shadow passes over it. Before and after totality, the moon appears in shades of gray and red during partial phases.
Historically, blood-red moons were often viewed as omens, but scientists note the event is the same atmospheric scattering that produces colourful sunrises and sunsets.
- With files from the BBC Service