This September, the full moon will swap its usual silvery-white look for a deep red color. Not only will this rare spectacle illuminate skies in a reddish Blood Moon, but it’s part of a total lunar eclipse… the longest one in years, at that! Read on to learn all about it.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting a shadow on the moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, resulting in a reddish appearance.
Why is it named a Blood Moon?
The Blood Moon gets its name from its appearance, of course! While the Earth blocks most of the sunlight from reaching the moon, its atmosphere filters out the blue light, leaving red and orange wavelengths to be reflected back and give the moon its distinctive blood-like hue.
When is the Blood Moon?
The total lunar eclipse will occur on the night of September 7th into the early morning on the 8th.
Will you be able to see it from Miami?
Unfortunately, the Blood Moon will not be visible in the U.S. as the full moon will have already set by the time the eclipse begins. Though it will be part of the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022, prime viewing locations for the moon are Asia and Australia, with some partial visibility in Europe and Africa.
Still, Miami will get a perfect view of September’s full moon, also known as the Corn Moon or Harvest Moon. It will rise on September 7th at 2:08 p.m., according to Time and Date.
Just because you won’t be able to enjoy the eclipse in the night sky, you can still find a livestream of the cosmic spectacle below:
Full moon events in Miami
There are still plenty of events celebrating the Corn Moon, which you can find here:
- September 6: Full Moon Yoga at the Deering Estate, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
- September 7: Full Moon Miami Beach at Margaret Pace Park with Jen Rose, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- September 7: CORN Full Moon Drum Circle at 80th Lifeguard Stand, at 10:10 p.m. (free)
- September 7: Full Moon Sound Healing at the beach, 300 Monroe St, at 9:15 p.m.