Chandra Grahan 2025: When and where to watch 'Blood Moon' in India

Don't forget to look up at the sky tonight! A total lunar eclipse is set to light up the sky on the intervening night of September 7 and 8.

Also called a Chandra Grahan, a lunar eclipse involves the Earth taking position exactly in between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow that gives the moon a mesmerising reddish-orange hue—giving rise to the term 'Blood Moon'.

This time, the Blood Moon is set to last upwards of an hour (82 minutes), and can be viewed in Asia—especially India and China—and parts of Australia, depending on visibility and cloud cover. Certain regions of Europe, Africa, and New Zealand may also get to see this striking phenomenon.

Said to begin approximately after 9PM, the lunar eclipse will end by 12:30PM, with the totality phase (during which time the Blood Moon can be sighted) expected by 11PM.

Unlike solar eclipses which are dangerous to look at (due to the blinding rays of the sun) and need specialised equipment, lunar eclipses are safe to look at with the naked eye. This is because during such an eclipse, the moon does not shine brighter than it would on a typical full moon night.

The moon's redness during a lunar eclipse is because of the splitting of faint sunlight into various colours. Colours of shorter wavelengths like blue and green get more easily scattered in the Earth’s atmosphere than those with longer wavelengths, such as red, which reach the moon, giving it a beautiful glow that has both fascinated and terrified humankind for centuries.

This is the second total lunar eclipse this year, and the longest since 2022.

It also precedes a much-anticipated total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. These extremely rare solar eclipses can be seen across a narrow strip of Europe, including parts of Spain and Iceland. Other places across the world will get to see only a partial solar eclipse.

Sci/Tech