- What Is a Blood Moon?
- Moon Phases Explained: Full Moon, New Moon, Crescent Moon
- Blood Moon 2025: When and Where to See It
- Next Blood Moons and Lunar Eclipses
- Weather Conditions: What to Look Out For
- Mistakes to Avoid 🚫
- Photographing the Blood Moon with a Smartphone 📱
- Photographing the Blood Moon with a Camera 📷
- More Moon Photography Opportunities 🌙
- Upcoming Moon Events
- FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- Glossary 📖
- We’d Love Your Feedback 💬
What Is a Blood Moon?
The term blood moon describes a full moon during a total lunar eclipse. When the Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, the Earth’s shadow covers the moon. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere is refracted: blue and green light are scattered out, leaving only the long red wavelengths. As a result, the moon appears in shades of copper or deep red.
Across cultures, the blood moon has often been associated with myths, omens, or religious symbolism. Today, we know it is simply a fascinating natural event explained by physics.
Moon Phases Explained: Full Moon, New Moon, Crescent Moon
- 🌑 New Moon: The moon is positioned between Earth and the sun. The side facing us is not illuminated, making it invisible.
- 🌒 Crescent Moon: Only a small part is illuminated by the sun – great for creative nightscapes.
- 🌕 Full Moon: The entire visible side is lit. Very bright, perfect for detail shots.
- 🌘 Waning Moon: After the full moon, the illuminated area shrinks.
👉 A blood moon is essentially a special full moon that occurs when Earth blocks direct sunlight during a total eclipse.
Blood Moon 2025: When and Where to See It
The blood moon will be visible in Germany on the night of Sunday, September 7 to Monday, September 8, 2025:
- 🌅 Moonrise: 19:53 (east)
- 🌕 Maximum eclipse: ~00:45 (south)
- 🌄 Moonset: 06:06 (southwest)
- 🌍 Distance from Earth: ~370,289 km
Next Blood Moons and Lunar Eclipses
- March 2, 2026 – Total lunar eclipse, visible only in America and Asia
- August 28, 2026 – Partial lunar eclipse, visible in Germany
- February 20, 2027 – Penumbral lunar eclipse
- December 31, 2028 – Next total lunar eclipse visible in Germany
Weather Conditions: What to Look Out For
The best conditions for photographing a blood moon are clear skies – but there’s more to consider:
- Dry & clear air: Low humidity = sharper images.
- Thin clouds: Can add atmospheric effects and dramatic colors.
- Fog or haze: Avoid, as they obscure the moon.
- Light pollution: City lights reduce contrast and color intensity – choose rural or elevated areas.
👉 Pro Tip: Use apps like Meteoblue or Windy to check cloud cover, humidity, and visibility forecasts before heading out.
Mistakes to Avoid 🚫
- Not using a tripod → almost guaranteed blur.
- Using digital zoom → poor quality, always use optical zoom or telephoto lenses.
- Flash on → useless for the moon’s distance.
- Relying on auto mode → leads to over- or underexposed shots.
- Exposures longer than 2–3 seconds → moon motion causes blur.
- Leaving image stabilization on when mounted on a tripod → creates blur.
Photographing the Blood Moon with a Smartphone 📱
Smartphones can capture atmospheric shots if used correctly:
- Tripod & phone mount → essential for stability.
- Pro/Manual mode:
- ISO: 50–100
- Shutter speed: 1/100 – 1/125 s
- Focus: manual, set to infinity
- White balance: adjust manually
- RAW mode (if available) → better for editing.
- Telephoto lenses or telescope adapters → capture more detail.
Photographing the Blood Moon with a Camera 📷
A DSLR or mirrorless camera offers the best results:
- Recommended gear: telephoto lens (200 mm minimum, ideally 400–600 mm), sturdy tripod, remote shutter release, spare batteries.
- Settings (manual mode):
- ISO: 400–3200
- Aperture: f/5.6 – f/11
- Shutter speed: 1/400-1/2000 seconds
- RAW format → maximum flexibility in post-processing.
- Manual focus → use Live View with 10x zoom for precision.
- Bracketing → capture multiple exposures (-2, 0, +2 EV).
- Stacking → combine multiple shots to reduce noise and increase detail.
More Moon Photography Opportunities 🌙
Even outside lunar eclipses, moon photography is rewarding:
- Supermoon: A full moon at its closest point to Earth – appears larger and brighter.
- Mini Moon: A full moon at its farthest distance – smaller and dimmer.
- Crescent Moon: Beautiful for creative landscapes.
- Full Moonrise: Near the horizon, it appears larger due to optical illusion.
- Half Moon: Ideal for crater detail, as shadows highlight surface structures.
Upcoming Moon Events
- April 13, 2025 – Mini Full Moon
- August 23, 2025 – Black Moon
- November 5, 2025 – Super Full Moon
- November 20, 2025 – Mini Full Moon
- December 5, 2025 – Super Full Moon
- May 16, 2026 – Super New Moon
- May 31, 2026 – Blue Moon
- June 30, 2026 – Mini Full Moon
- December 24, 2026 – Supermoon
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next blood moon?
After September 7–8, 2025, the next one visible in Germany will be on December 31, 2028.
Can I enjoy the blood moon without a camera?
Yes – with the naked eye or binoculars, the sight is stunning.
What is the ideal shutter speed?
Around 1/125 s at the start, 0.5–2 seconds during totality.
Do I really need a telephoto lens?
For details, yes – but wide-angle shots with landscape foregrounds can also be striking.
Glossary 📖
- Blood Moon: A full moon during a total lunar eclipse, appearing red.
- Moon Phases: Cycle from new moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon.
- ISO: Sensor sensitivity to light – higher ISO increases noise.
- Aperture (f-stop): Lens opening size, controls depth of field and light intake.
- Shutter Speed: Exposure time – how long light hits the sensor.
- RAW: Image format with maximum editing flexibility.
- Bracketing: Shooting multiple exposures of the same scene.
- Stacking: Combining multiple images to reduce noise and improve detail.
We’d Love Your Feedback 💬
Have you ever photographed a blood moon? Are you planning to capture the Blood Moon 2025?
👉 Share your questions, experiences, or tips in the comments below – and let us know what you thought of this guide!
