We’re entering the last phase of the Montreal summer: it’s getting a little cooler, the kids are heading back to school and the corn and sunflowers are turning Quebec green and gold.
September arrives, and with it the September full moon, known as the Corn Moon (because it’s the peak of the sweet corn harvest in North America).
And, in addition to this celestial event, there will be a total lunar eclipse – which will change the color of the full moon to blood red…
The Blood Moon
When we speak of a total lunar eclipse, a few rays of the Sun still reach the star, passing through the Earth’s atmosphere. The short-wave rays of the Sun – blue and green – are scattered and lost, while the long-wave rays – red – reach the Moon’s surface.
The result is a large, coppery moon which, depending on your mood, is either a good omen, or something vaguely distressing hidden behind drawn curtains. Pagan religions see the eclipse as the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new period, the ancient Babylonians a prediction of the death of a king, but it’s mostly seen as a time of transformation and reflection.
The red color of the moon during this event has given it the name “Blood Moon “.
How does it look?
The red moon phenomenon appears when the eclipse is total, and in Montreal it will be on the night of September 7 to 8, 2025.
To see it, you’ll also need clear skies at that time – a few flakes are forecast for now, so you’ll have to wait and plan to stay up late to catch a glimpse of the Red Moon…
In Montreal, there’s a lot of light pollution, and to see the blood moon, we’ll have to find the places with the clearest skies… We’ve got 3 places here;
- Bellevue Observatory
- Outremont Belvedere
- Botanical Garden and Planetarium