Mark Your Calendars: The Rare September 7-8, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse—Here’s How to Watch, Shoot, and Win with DwarfLab

Look up! The night sky is preparing one of its most breathtaking shows: a total lunar eclipse. On the evening of Sunday, September 7, 2025, the Earth will align perfectly between the Sun and the Moon, casting our celestial companion into a profound and beautiful shadow. This is an event you won't want to miss, and with DwarfLab by your side, you can do more than just watch—you can capture it, share it, and become part of a global community of astrophotographers.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know: where and when to see it, the science behind the magic, and crucially, how you can use your DwarfLab smart telescope to immortalize this astronomical wonder.

A lunar eclipse is a stunning demonstration of orbital mechanics. It occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a perfect (or nearly perfect) straight line in space.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires special glasses to view safely, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to observe with the naked eye. Here’s a step-by-step of what happens:

1. The Penumbra: The event starts as the Moon moves into the Earth’s penumbra, its faint outer shadow. The dimming is very subtle and often hard to notice at first.
2. The Umbra (Partial Phase): Things get exciting as the Moon begins to enter the umbra, the Earth’s central, dark, cone-shaped shadow. A dark, curved "bite" appears on the left side of the Moon, slowly growing larger.
3. Totality: This is the grand finale. The Moon is entirely within the umbra. But why doesn't it disappear completely? It's because sunlight scatters through Earth's atmosphere. Our planet's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the lunar surface. The shorter wavelengths of light (blues and greens) are scattered away, while the longer red and orange wavelengths bend around the Earth and illuminate the Moon. This is why a totally eclipsed moon is often called a "Blood Moon," and it can range in color from a coppery red and orange to a darker, rusty brown, depending on atmospheric conditions like volcanic dust or cloud cover.
4. Reversal: After totality, the process reverses as the Moon slips out of the umbra and penumbra, returning to its full brilliance.

This lunar eclipse will be visible to a vast portion of the globe, offering millions a front-row seat to the cosmic ballet.

• Prime Viewing Locations: Observers across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will have the best views of the entire eclipse sequence. For those in the United Kingdom, Western Europe, and West Africa, the eclipse will be underway as the moon rises in the evening, a phenomenon known as a "selenelion," where you can see both the eclipsed moon and the setting sun simultaneously—a truly rare sight!
• Partial Views: Viewers in eastern South America and parts of North America might catch the very end of the eclipse as the moon sets, but the full spectacle will be reserved for the Eastern Hemisphere.

Based on multiple astronomical sources, here are the UTC times for each phase of the total lunar eclipse on September 7, 2025:

• Penumbral Eclipse Begins: 15:28:06 UTC (The Moon enters the Earth's faint outer shadow)
• Partial Eclipse Begins: 16:26:51 UTC (The "bite" out of the Moon becomes visible)
• Total Eclipse Begins: 17:30:36 UTC (The Moon is completely within Earth's umbra, turning red)
• Maximum Eclipse: 18:11:43 UTC (The peak of totality)
• Total Eclipse Ends: 18:53:18 UTC (The Moon begins to exit the darkest shadow)
• Partial Eclipse Ends: 19:56:53 UTC
• Penumbral Eclipse Ends: 20:55:27 UTC

The period of totality—the main event—lasts for a magnificent 82 minutes, giving us ample time to observe and capture the Moon’s transformation.

This is where your adventure begins. A lunar eclipse is a fantastic, dynamic target for astrophotography, and with DwarfLab’s smart telescopes, capturing stunning images has never been easier. You don’t need to be an expert; you just need passion and the right tool.

For DWARF II and DWARF 3 Owners:Your DwarfLab telescope is the perfect companion for this event. Its smart tracking, high-resolution sensor, and user-friendly app interface take the complexity out of astrophotography.We have prepared a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to help you plan your shoot. From choosing the right settings in the app to composing your shot and processing your images, we’ve got you covered.

>> Read our detailed tutorial here.

Not sure about your settings? Want to see the eclipse from a different part of the world? Or simply want to enjoy the event with fellow astronomy enthusiasts? We will be hosting a LIVE YouTube broadcast on the night of the eclipse!

Tune in to our  DwarfLab YouTube channel as the eclipse begins. Our team will be there, with a DWARF 3 trained on the Moon, sharing live footage, offering expert commentary, and providing real-time tips on how to get the best shot with your own telescope. It’s the perfect way to experience the eclipse with a global community.

We want to see what you can create! To celebrate this celestial event, we are launching a special "Blood Moon" Capture Contest on social media.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Capture: Use your DWARF II or DWARF 3 smart telescope to photograph the lunar eclipse on September 7-8.

2. Share: Post your best photo(s) or video(s) on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, or Facebook, and more!

3. Tag: Make sure to tag @dwarflab and use the hashtag #LunarEclipseWithDwarf so we can find your entry! Participation date: Sept. 8-15.

Our team will judge the entries based on creativity, technical skill, and overall impact. The winners have the chance to receive big DWARF 3 vouvher or a package of DwarfLab merchandise to show off their passion for astronomy.

This is your chance to test your skills, join a global event, and win some awesome prizes. So mark your calendars, prepare your gear, and get ready for a night of unforgettable astronomy.Clear skies and happy shooting!