It was only in July that the buck moon thrilled us with its intense luminosity, followed by the biggest shooting star night of the year on August 12, when the Perseids provided spectacular celestial fireworks with around 100 meteors per hour. In September, the next extraordinary astro experience is coming up that you shouldn’t miss: On September 7, we can expect a total lunar eclipse (with the last early phases still on September 8) – also known as the “blood moon”. Find out why it has this special name and where you can best marvel at the celestial event in Berlin below!
How does the blood moon occur on September 7?
The total phase of the lunar eclipse in September lasts around 82 minutes, according to some even 83 minutes. The entire eclipse – including the partial phases – lasts 209 minutes, with a total duration of 326 minutes. This event is part of the Saros Cycle 128 and is the 41st of a total of 71 eclipses in this series. During the total lunar eclipse, the moon plunges completely into the Earth’s umbra. It should actually disappear, as no more direct sunlight hits its surface. However, the Earth’s atmosphere acts as both a filter and a lens: the sunlight that passes by the Earth is deflected into the shadow zone. Rayleigh scattering filters out the short-wave components (blue, green), while the longer-wave red and orange components reach the moon. This produces the characteristic copper to blood red glow.
The intensity of the red color depends largely on the clarity of the Earth’s atmosphere. If the air is clean, the moon appears rather bright and orange-colored. However, if there are many particles in the atmosphere – for example as a result of volcanic eruptions or large-scale forest fires – it takes on a deep red to almost black hue. The position of the moon within the umbra is also decisive: the more centrally it passes through it, the more intensely it glows in red. On September 7, the moon dips particularly centrally into the Earth’s shadow. As a result, the red coloration is expected to be very strong and totality will last an exceptionally long 82 minutes, which is why it is also considered one of the longest lunar eclipses since 2022. In total, over six billion people will have the opportunity to observe this impressive celestial event.
Where in Berlin can you get the best view of the blood moon?
The great planetariums in Berlin are ideal for observing astronomical events in the city. The Wilhelm Foerster Observatory in particular is one of the most popular viewing points and invites you to a free live observation on September 7 – including lectures and livestream in the lecture hall. This makes it the ideal place for this celestial event when the sky is clear. The partial lunar eclipse is estimated to begin at 17:11 CEST. The maximum phase of totality is expected to be reached at 20:11 CEST, the end of totality is predicted for 21:52 CEST. The partial phase will finally end at around 22:55 CEST.
But the blood moon can not only be experienced at the observatory: Other spots in Berlin also offer an impressive view – the important thing is to have as clear a view as possible to the east-southeast, where the moon will be low above the horizon during totality. We recommend the Teufelsberg, the Grunewald Tower, the Victory Column and the Reichstag dome. The city’s rooftops, such as the Klunkerkranich or the Rooftop Bar in the Hotel de Rome, also offer a special view of the spectacle in the sky.