On the night of September 7-8, 2025, a rare and spectacular event—a total lunar eclipse—will be visible in Bali, as well as throughout Indonesia. The Moon will turn dark red, copper, or orange and remain in this state for 1 hour and 22 minutes, hence the name 'blood moon.' This is the first such prolonged eclipse since 2022. The next similar lunar show won't be until 2033.
If the weather is clear, the eclipse will be perfectly visible from start to finish in Bali. The Moon will begin to enter the Earth's penumbra at 11:26 PM. The partial phase starts at 12:26 AM, and the main spectacle—a total blood moon—begins at 1:30 AM. At 2:53 AM, the Earth's satellite will start to exit the shadow. By 3:56 AM, the partial eclipse will end, and by 4:56 AM, the Moon will fully exit the penumbra and be bright again. The red disk phase will last 1 hour and 22 minutes, and the entire sequence will take more than five hours.
The Earth's atmosphere plays a key role in 'coloring' the Moon. When the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, the planet blocks the direct sunlight. However, some light still passes through the atmosphere. Short waves scatter, but long ones reach the Moon, giving it a 'blood' hue. NASA explains it as if all the sunsets and sunrises in the world are reflecting on the Moon's surface during an eclipse.
No equipment is needed for observation. Just find a place with minimal city light. In South Bali, these are the beaches; in Ubud, rice terraces and hills with a view of the sky. The main factor is good weather.
BMKG (the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics) is organizing several public viewings, including in Jakarta, Labuan Bajo, and Banjarbaru. There will be no official spots in Bali, but you can watch the live stream on the BMKG website: gerhana.bmkg.go.id and on the YouTube channel of the Virtual Telescope Project.
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