Lunar Eclipse over Chile | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
The US Naval Observatory Deep South Telescope and the DIMM2 Seeing Monitor sit side by side on Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab, under the colorful sky of the lunar eclipse in March 2025.
Eclipses are beautiful sights in the sky that are not to be missed, but how do we know when they will happen? After an eclipse happens, 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours pass before the Sun, Moon, and Earth return to that exact alignment. This period of time is called a saros and has been recorded and used by ancient astronomers since 600 BCE. For example, the lunar eclipse in March 2025 will repeat the same saros cycle on March 25, 2043. This does not mean you will have to wait a full cycle to watch the next lunar eclipse! A saros applies to both lunar and solar eclipses. On average, there are 42 saros series occurring at any given time, which results in a handful of lunar and solar eclipses to witness each year.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur in September 2025 and be visible from Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The next lunar eclipse visible from NSF NOIRLab’s observing sites will be in March 2026.
Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: July 16, 2025
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