People in the Eastern Hemisphere may see Earth’s shadow pass over the lunar surface, covering our world’s natural satellite in a flush of red.
A total lunar eclipse, commonly called a blood moon, crossed the sky in parts of Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa.CreditCredit...Brandon Bell/Getty Images ... Katrina Miller has previously reported on three solar eclipses and as many lunar eclipses. Published Sept. 5, 2025Updated Sept. 7, 2025 ... Update: This astronomical event has concluded. You can watch a video recap of it in the player above.Viewers in most of the Western Hemisphere, including North and South America, will miss the event. That’s because it is occurring during their daytime, between 11:26 a.m. and 4:56 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, and the moon is below the horizon.Lunar eclipses happen in phases. The moon will begin to creep into the outer part of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra, causing its face to slightly dim. This first phase occurs at 6:26 p.m. in Cairo, Jerusalem and Moscow; at 8:56 p.m. in New Delhi; at 12:26 a.m.When the moon is fully engulfed by Earth’s umbra, a total lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, ensues. Sunlight that spills over the edges of Earth travels through the atmosphere, which more readily scatters blue wavelengths of light. Redder wavelengths pass through and illuminate the lunar surface, casting it in a crimson hue.