Blood Moon Forecast Captivates Skywatchers Ahead of Weekend Eclipse

Paris, France, September 4, 2025 - Amateur astronomers and night-sky enthusiasts are gearing up for a “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse this Sunday, with much of Asia, eastern Africa, and western Australia poised for prime viewing. In parts of Europe and Africa, observers will catch only the Moon’s rising edge of totality, making for a brief but dramatic spectacle at moonrise.

The phenomenon occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and a full Moon, blocking direct sunlight and casting the lunar surface into Earth’s shadow. Sunlight refracted through Earth’s atmosphere strips away shorter blue wavelengths, bathing the Moon in a deep red hue that has earned it the evocative Blood Moon nickname.

In metropolitan France, the moment of maximum eclipse is predicted at 20:11 CEST, when the reddened Moon will hover low on the southeast horizon. No special equipment is required-clear skies and an unobstructed eastern view will suffice for this safe, naked-eye event. Astronomy experts note that this total lunar eclipse, the second of the year, also heralds the approach of next year’s much-anticipated total solar eclipse across Europe and North Africa on August 12, 2026.