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First lunar eclipse visible from Korea in 3 years to take place next week

Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 16:21 Updated: 01 Sep. 2025, 16:52

The total lunar eclipse from Nov. 8, 2022 [KOREA ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE]

A total lunar eclipse will occur in the early hours of Sept. 8, when the moon will pass completely into Earth's umbra, or central shadow. This marks the first total lunar eclipse visible from Korea in nearly three years, the last having taken place on Nov. 8, 2022.

According to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the partial eclipse will begin at 1:26 a.m., with totality starting at 2:30 a.m. as the moon becomes fully enveloped in the Earth's shadow.

The eclipse will reach its peak — known as the point of greatest eclipse — at 3:11 a.m., and totality will end at 3:53 a.m. The moon will gradually emerge from the Earth’s shadow, with the eclipse concluding at 5:56 a.m.

This celestial event will be visible across much of Asia, as well as Russia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, Africa and Europe. In Korea, the moon will appear with a reddish hue low in the southwestern sky.

The next total lunar eclipse visible from Korea is expected to occur on March 3, 2026.

Special viewing events will be hosted by science museums and observatories across the country, including the Gwacheon National Science Museum and the Gwangju National Science Museum.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]