Blood Moon: When Is the Next One?
The next blood moon is the total lunar eclipse of (greatest eclipse), with about 72 minutes of totality.
- Total lunar eclipse
- Moon in Cancer
Visible in full from Asia, Australia, and central and eastern Europe, with the Moon rising already eclipsed for western Europe and most of Africa. In the Americas, only Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest see it before moonset.
The last blood moon was on March 3, 2026.
Where the next blood moon is visible
Among the 18 cities tracked on this site, the eclipse of December 31, 2028, is visible from London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, and Johannesburg. Anywhere the Moon is above the horizon during totality sees the red Moon; the lunar eclipse page for 2028 lists the altitude of the Moon for each city.
- Partial eclipse begins
- Totality
- to
- Partial eclipse ends
Total lunar eclipses 2024–2040
| Date and time (UTC) | Totality | Visible from (tracked cities) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 67 min | New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, São Paulo | details | |
| 83 min | London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg | details | |
| 59 min | New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore | details | |
| 72 min | London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg | details | |
| 103 min | New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, São Paulo | details | |
| 55 min | New York, Chicago, Toronto, London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg, São Paulo | details | |
| 67 min | Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg | details | |
| 48 min | London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg | details | |
| 51 min | London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg, São Paulo | details | |
| 80 min | New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore | details | |
| 75 min | New York, Chicago, Toronto, London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg, São Paulo | details | |
| 96 min | New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, São Paulo | details | |
| 65 min | Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, Singapore | details | |
| 93 min | Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney, Auckland, Manila, Singapore | details | |
| 89 min | London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, Johannesburg | details |
Times are the moments of greatest eclipse. Partial and penumbral lunar eclipses, which do not turn the Moon red, are listed on the eclipse calendar.
Why the Moon turns red
A blood moon is the popular name for a total lunar eclipse. The full moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the umbra, and instead of going black it turns copper, orange, or deep red. The color comes from Earth’s atmosphere: sunlight bends around the edge of the planet, the air scatters the blue light away, and what reaches the Moon is the red light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth at that moment. How dark or bright the red is depends on clouds, dust, and volcanic ash in the atmosphere at the time.
A total lunar eclipse unfolds over several hours. The Moon first dims slightly in the outer shadow, the penumbra. Then a dark bite grows across it during the partial phase, and totality, the red stage, lasts from a few minutes to about an hour and three quarters. It is safe to watch with the naked eye, binoculars, or a camera, and it is visible from the whole night side of Earth at once.
A red moon is not always a blood moon
A full moon rising orange or red over the horizon is a different and far more common sight. Low in the sky, moonlight passes through a thick layer of air that scatters the blue away—the same reason the setting Sun is red. Smoke from wildfires can turn even a high Moon orange. Neither of these is an eclipse; the Moon stays fully lit, and the color of a low Moon fades as it climbs.
Blood moon in folklore
Many cultures read a red Moon as an omen: in old Norse stories a wolf swallows it, in Chinese folklore a heavenly dog does, and medieval chronicles noted it before wars and plagues. Modern writers have linked a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row, a tetrad, to prophecy. Astronomically a blood moon is a regular, predictable alignment that harms nothing, and the dates on this page are known decades ahead. The Hunter’s Moon of October was also called a Blood Moon in some older almanacs, after the color of the fall foliage and the hunting season, not after an eclipse.
Keep exploring
- Solar and lunar eclipses
Every eclipse of the next ten years
- Next full moon
Countdown and the full moon calendar
- Supermoon
The closest full moons of the year
- Blue Moon
Two full moons in one month
Frequently asked questions
When is the next blood moon?
The next blood moon is the total lunar eclipse of Sunday, December 31, 2028, with greatest eclipse at 4:51 PM UTC and about 72 minutes of totality. Among the cities tracked here it is visible from London, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Sydney, and others.
What is a blood moon?
A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse: the full moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow and turns copper red, lit only by sunlight bent through Earth’s atmosphere. It is safe to watch with the naked eye and visible from the whole night side of Earth.
Is March 3, 2026 a blood moon?
Yes. On March 3, 2026, the Moon passed through Earth’s shadow in a total lunar eclipse, with greatest eclipse at 11:33 AM UTC, and turned red during totality. Among the cities tracked here it was visible from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, Manila, and others.
What does a blood moon mean?
Astronomically it means a total lunar eclipse, a regular alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon that is predicted decades ahead and harms nothing. In folklore a red Moon was read as an omen in many cultures, and some older almanacs called the Hunter’s Moon of October a Blood Moon after the color of the season.
How often does a blood moon happen?
Total lunar eclipses happen a little less than once a year on average, though they cluster: there can be two in one year and then none for two or three years. Between 2024 and 2040 this list has 15 total lunar eclipses.