What time is the blood moon total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7-8?

A total lunar eclipse will occur overnight on Sunday (Sept. 7) into the early hours of Monday (Sept. 8), creating a striking red 'blood moon' for skywatchers across Asia, Western Australia and Europe.

The September lunar eclipse will reach its maximum phase, when the moon is fully immersed in Earth's dark umbral shadow, at 5:11 p.m. EDT (21:11 GMT) on Sept. 7.

Totality, the period when the moon is completely engulfed in Earth's umbral shadow, will last for approximately 82 minutes. Key totality viewing times according to Time and Date across different time zones include:

• London (BST): 7:30 p.m. – 7:52 p.m. (Sept. 7) — moon rises already in eclipse
• Paris (CEST): 7:30 p.m. – 8:52 p.m. (Sept. 7) — visible low on the horizon
• Cape Town (SAST): 7:30 p.m. – 8:52 p.m. (Sept. 7)
• Istanbul/Cairo/Nairobi (EEST/EAT): 8:30 p.m. – 9:52 p.m. (Sept. 7)
• Tehran (IRST): 9:00 p.m. – 10:22 p.m. (Sept. 7)
• Mumbai (IST): 11:00 p.m. (Sept. 7) – 12:22 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Bangkok (ICT): 12:30 a.m. – 1:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Beijing (CST): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Hong Kong (HKT): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Perth (AWST): 1:30 a.m. – 2:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Tokyo (JST): 2:30 a.m. – 3:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)
• Sydney (AEST): 3:30 a.m. – 4:52 a.m. (Sept. 8)

Almost 77% of the world's population will be able to witness the entire total phase of this eclipse, according to Time and Date.

If you're unable to catch the lunar eclipse in person, you can watch the blood moon total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7 with these free livestreams. We'll also be livestreaming the event on Space.com so you can enjoy the blood moon from the comfort of your own home. Follow along with the latest updates in our lunar eclipse live blog.

What will happen

The eclipse begins as the moon enters Earth's penumbral shadow, causing a subtle shading effect. As it moves deeper into the umbra, a dark shadow will creep across the lunar surface until, during "totality," it turns a reddish-orange hue. The exact shade of the blood moon depends on Earth's atmospheric conditions at the time of the eclipse.

This eclipse occurs just 2.7 days before the moon reaches perigee (its closest point to Earth), meaning the moon will appear slightly larger than usual in the night sky. Because this total eclipse will sit deep within Earth's umbra, the darkest part of our planet's shadow, the moon is expected to turn a rich, dark red.

For observers in Asia and Australia, the moon will be high in the sky during totality, making it ideal for viewing and photography. In Europe and Africa, the eclipse will be visible as the moon rises at dusk. The Americas, unfortunately, will miss out on this one.

Editor's note: If you capture a photo of the total lunar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, please email it along with any comments to spacephotos@space.com.