The Sept. 7 total lunar eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
A blood moon total lunar eclipse occurs in Columbus, Ohio on March 14, 2025. Totality for the eclipse lasted just over an hour and could be seen throughout most of North and South America.

The moon will appear a striking red color for some around the world thanks to a total lunar eclipse in the first weekend of September – but sadly it won't be visible from the United States.

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth is situated between the moon and sun, causing Earth’s shadow to fall on the surface of the moon and turn it a rusty red color. Each lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth, according to NASA.

In March, a total lunar eclipse was visible across the United States. Americans will not be in the line of sight, however, for the Sept. 7-8 total lunar eclipse, which is also commonly referred to as a "blood moon."

Here's what to know about the upcoming lunar eclipse.

When is the September total lunar eclipse? How long will it last?

The eclipse will occur Sept. 7-8, depending on the time zone. In Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, the eclipse will occur throughout the day on Sept. 7.

According to NASA, the totality phase, when Earth's shadow fully covers the moon, is expected to last about one hour and 22 minutes. Overall, it will take three hours and 29 minutes for Earth to pass in front of the moon.

The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts. The umbra is a darker inner shadow and the penumbra is a fainter outer shadow, according to NASA.

Where will the September total lunar eclipse be visible?

The total lunar eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In other words, the phenomenon will only appear on the half of Earth opposite the Americas.

The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible in America will be on March 3, according to NASA.

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse is a perfect alignment of Earth, the moon and sun, according to NASA. It is different from a partial lunar eclipse, which is an imperfect alignment of the three.

During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into Earth's inner shadow, which is known as the umbra. Some of the sunlight passing through Earth dimly lights the moon as a result.

Lunar eclipses occur at the full moon phase, according to NASA.

Why is a total lunar eclipse called a blood moon?

Total lunar eclipses are commonly referred to as blood moons because of the moon's reddish hues during the event.

Because Earth lines up between the moon and the sun, the moon is hidden from sunlight during a total lunar eclipse. When this happens, the only light that reaches the moon’s surface is from the edges of Earth.

Air molecules in Earth's atmosphere scatter most of the blue light, causing the remaining light to reflect onto the moon with a red glow, according to NASA.

Contributing: Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will see September total lunar eclipse? Where and when to view 'blood moon.'

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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