Total Lunar Eclipse of September 2025
Author: Aurelius Invictus, date posted: 07 September 2025 23:56
#astronomy  #moon  #eclipse 
At first, I was somewhat reluctant to go anywhere to look at the eclipse, let alone photograph it. But seeing that the sky is unusually clear, I decided to go. Just before setting off I found out that the battery in my DSLR camera can't be bothered to charge. So I took the compact Panasonic superzoom instead, forgetting to take the tripod.
On the way there, I took a quick photo of the beginning of the eclipse. On the way there, I took a quick photo of the beginning of the eclipse.
That red blob in the sky looks very unusual, and rather impressive. That red blob in the sky looks very unusual, and rather impressive.
While Moon eclipses aren't that rare, one thing that makes this one more special is that it's less than 3 days away from the perigee - moment, when the Moon on its orbit is closest to Earth.
By definition, any total lunar eclipse coincides with the full moon. This time, the full moon was at 18:11 UTC.
This was taken at 18:09 UTC, just two minutes away from the peak of the eclipse This was taken at 18:09 UTC, just two minutes away from the peak of the eclipse
At one point, a small cloud passed over the eclipsed Moon, almost during the peak of the eclipse. At one point, a small cloud passed over the eclipsed Moon, almost during the peak of the eclipse.
The cloud failed to fully conceal the Blood Moon. The cloud failed to fully conceal the Blood Moon.
The reason why the total lunar eclipse is called the Blood Moon is because of its reddish color. You can think of this red light as the total sum of all sunsets and sunrises going on around the Earth simultaneously and projecting their light onto the Moon.
The eclipse is almost over. The eclipse is almost over.
Closer look. Closer look.
And this is the beginning of the end of the eclipse - the direct sunlight is returning to the Moon And this is the beginning of the end of the eclipse - the direct sunlight is returning to the Moon
I have to say, when the dark red blob started shining again with that incredibly thin crescent, it looked and felt special. What a light show!
Some time later. This looks like a normal waning moon, except it's not - it's still partially eclipsed Some time later. This looks like a normal waning moon, except it's not - it's still partially eclipsed
Same place same time, but with slower exposure, to capture the illuminated cloud halo around the Moon Same place same time, but with slower exposure, to capture the illuminated cloud halo around the Moon
This was my first time observing and photographing the Moon eclipse. I really wouldn't mind doing this again, but next time preferably far away from the light pollution and with a high-grade telephoto lens and a full frame camera. The challenge, of course, is catching it at the right moment at the right place with the right weather - you can't really control the latter!