On Sunday, the "blood moon" will appear in the sky: where and when to observe it

This rare phenomenon is often referred to as the "blood moon" and has fascinated people for thousands of years.

According to phys.org, the eclipse will occur on 8 September 2025 and will be visible from 20:30 to 21:52 Kiev time. Best of all it will be able to observe the inhabitants of India, China and other Asian countries. Also it will be visible in the east of Africa and in the western part of Australia.

Residents of Europe and western Africa will be able to see only a partial eclipse at moonrise - in the early evening hours. But in the countries of America will not be able to observe this phenomenon at all.

The reason for the appearance of red colour is the scattering of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere. As explained by astrophysicist Ryan Milligan from Queens University in Belfast, short blue wavelengths of light are scattered more strongly, and longer red wavelengths pass further and reach the surface of the moon. As a result, it turns a copper-red or purple colour.

"The Moon gets its bloody colour because the only light that illuminates it at that moment is sunlight refracted and scattered in the Earth's atmosphere," the scientist explains.

To observe a lunar eclipse, you don't need any special instruments - a clear sky is enough. Unlike solar eclipses, which require special glasses or projection devices, lunar eclipses are safe for the naked eye.

This will be the first total lunar eclipse since March 2025. The previous one happened back in 2022.

Milligan, who describes himself as a "solar eclipse hunter", sees this event as a prelude to an even rarer and more exciting phenomenon - a total solar eclipse that will occur on 12 August 2026.

This eclipse will be visible only in a narrow strip of Europe - between Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, as well as in Iceland. And even residents of these two large Spanish cities will not be able to observe the full phase - it will pass a little to the north. Nevertheless, the partial eclipse will be visible in most European countries.

Recall, the last total solar eclipse occurred in April 2024 and was visible in North America.

So if you are in the right part of the world and you are happy with clear weather, do not miss the opportunity to watch the "blood moon" - one of the most beautiful and mystical phenomena in the night sky.