Back in March, anyone looking up at the sky in the early hours of the morning would have been treated to the sight of a partial lunar eclipse. September is doing one better. This weekend, Brits will be able to witness a rare total lunar eclipse.
Not to be confused with a solar eclipse, this celestial spectacle (sometimes referred to as a ‘blood moon’) gives the moon an ominous red tinge. Like the northern lights and super blue moons, it’s not visible from the UK very often, so you shouldn’t miss it.
The last time that we were able to see a total lunar eclipse from the UK was more than three years ago in May 2022. Brits had to be awake between 2am and 5am to see that spectacle, but this year, you won’t need to adjust your sleep schedule at all. This year’s total lunar eclipse will be at its best at around dinnertime. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to see it for yourself.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are positioned in a straight line. When that happens, the moon passes through the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, blocking almost all of the light from the sun from reaching the lunar surface.
What is a blood moon?
A lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon because of the way the moon often turns a deep, coppery red during the eclipse. The red colour is a result of sunlight that has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and and has been bent back towards the Moon by refraction.
Penumbral and partial lunar eclipses happen between two to five time each year, but total lunar eclipses only occur once every two to three years.
When is the next total lunar eclipse?
The total lunar eclipse is happening on Sunday, September 7.
The exact time to see the total lunar eclipse and blood moon in the UK
According to Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), the best time to see the eclipse from the UK will be in the evening when it reaches its ‘maximum’. It says that the ‘maximum will occur at 7.33pm BST from the UK, with the eclipse's actual maximum at 7.11pm when the moon is below the horizon’. You’ll have around two and a half hours to catch a glimpse of it – the moon will move out of the Earth’s shadow at 9.55pm.
How to see the blood moon lunar eclipse clearly
RMG says that the moon will be quite low on the horizon, so you should head to a high point that has a clear, unobstructed view to the East to see the the eclipse in its full glory. To help you plan, we’ve got a list of the best places to go stargazing in the UK.
If you can’t see it in real life, you can always livestream the eclipse over on the Virtual Telescope Youtube channel.
Weather for the blood moon total lunar eclipse
It’s too soon for an exact weather forecast for Sunday evening but right now the Met Office says that between Friday, September 5 and Sunday September 14 ‘changeable weather conditions are expected across the UK’ with longer spells of rain affecting most of the country and ‘some heavy rain or showers are expected in places, most often in the west’.
How to photograph the blood moon
Of course, no picture will really do the display justice, but if want to capture the blood moon with just your phone camera, your best bet will be to use a tripod. Lowering your camera’s exposure and turning off auto-focus can also help get a better shot.
When is the next lunar eclipse in the UK?
The next lunar eclipse that we’ll be able to see from the UK will only be a partial one. That’s forecast to happen on August 28, 2026.
Best places to see the blood moon
The best places to see the moon are simply the clearest and darkest. You’ll want to be as far away from artificial light and pollution as possible – in a city, that typically means a hill or green space.
When does autumn officially start in the UK?
Plus: Four of the most beautiful places in Europe are in Britain.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.