A blood moon total lunar eclipse will be visible to about 85% of the world's population on Sept. 7-8.

There's a blood moon arising. About 85% of the world's population is getting a front-row seat to a total lunar eclipse this weekend, according to TimeandDate.com. Unfortunately, North America will have to wait until next year, on March 3, 2026, for the lunar phenomenon to be visible.

Several countries will be able to view the event Sept. 7-8. It will last 5 hours and 27 minutes, according to Space.com.

Total lunar eclipses are often called "blood moons" because of the moon's tendency to turn crimson when it is hidden by Earth's shadow.

Who will have the best view of the total lunar eclipse?

These regions will be able to see some parts of the blood lunar eclipse: Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, western parts of North America (Alaska), eastern parts of South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic and Antarctica, according TimeandDate.com.

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The moon's path during a total lunar eclipse

The Earth's shadow will cover the entire moon's surface at the center of the umbra, the deepest, innermost part of the shadow.

It takes about 5 ½ hours for Earth to pass in front of the moon, during which time the moon will enter Earth's umbra and penumbra, the lighter outer shadow, according to NASA.

The totality phase, when the Earth's shadow fully covers the moon, is expected to last 83 minutes.

What happens in a total lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is perfectly aligned between the moon and the sun and the moon appears darker as Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light. Only light from Earth's atmosphere reaches the moon, and light reflected from Earth's sunrises and sunsets can give the moon a reddish color.

Why is it called the corn moon?

Native Algonquin tribes coined the term "corn moon," according to the Maine Farmer's Almanac, because it was the time for gathering main staple crops of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice.

European names for this full moon include the fruit moon, as a number of fruits ripen as the end of summer approaches, and the barley moon, from the harvesting and threshing of barley, according to NASA.

This year's corn moon, the last full moon of summer 2025, will be at its brightest at 2:09 p.m. ET, on Sept. 7, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The moon will appear full on the nights before and after Sept. 7, as well.

When is the next lunar eclipse?

While North America missed out on this total lunar eclipse, we'll have another chance next year. Our astronomical alignments are about to get better in the coming years. From 2025 to 2030, there will be 13 lunar eclipses; of those, eight will be visible in the United States, according to NASA.

SOURCE NASA, Space.com, EarthSky.org, Eclipsewise.com and TimeandDate.com

CONTRIBUTING Doyle Rice and Shawn Sullivan/USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A total blood lunar eclipse will dazzle skywatchers this week. See how it happens.

Reporting by Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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