Breathtaking timelapse photos capture September's blood moon total lunar eclipse over Egypt's White Desert

Photographer Osama Fathi has produced a pair of breathtaking images showing the dramatic transformation of the moon during the total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7, as it fell into the deepest part of Earth's shadow above the White Desert National Park in Egypt.

A lunar eclipse takes place when Earth passes directly between the sun and moon during a full moon phase, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. The most dramatic moment occurs as the moon slips entirely into our world's inner shadow, known as the umbra, and is bathed in the combined light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth, transforming it into a red, blood moon.

Fathi captured the Sept. 7-8 lunar eclipse using a combination of three lenses as the moon rose high over the White Desert's chalk formations. "Standing under a blood-red Moon while the Milky Way slowly brightened was surreal — time felt elastic," Fathi told Space.com in an email. "The light fell away in minutes, the horizon cooled, and every click felt like threading a needle while the sky kept changing beneath my hands".

Fathi used a 600 mm telephoto lens to capture exquisite detail on the lunar surface, and 50 mm and 14 mm lenses to image the striking chalk formations of the White Desert. Throughout, Fathi worked under red light to preserve his night vision, adjusting exposure times, manually focusing and fighting gusts of wind that threatened to blur carefully timed shots.

The result is a spectacular vista that chronicles the shifting face of September's blood moon in contrast to the stillness of the desert below. "This composite image traces the full sequence of the total lunar eclipse as it arced above the iconic Mushroom and Chicken Rock formations," Fathi said. "From first contact with Earth's shadow through the deep red glow of totality, and then back to the brilliance of a full Moon, each phase is captured in precise order."

Fathi went on to combine detailed shots of the eclipse — captured using a Nikon Z6III camera with a Nikkor Z 180-600 mm long lens — to create a mesmerizing lunar swirl reminiscent of a cosmic ammonite shell. "The image highlights both the aesthetic beauty of the event and the scientific principle once used by ancient astronomers to deduce Earth's spherical nature," explained Fathi. "It is presented as both an artistic mosaic and an educational visualization of Earth's shadow geometry".

Photographers interested in capturing the ever-shifting face of the lunar surface for themselves should check out our roundup of the best astrophotography cameras and lenses available in 2025, along with our guide on how to image the moon using a DSLR camera.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your lunar photography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments and name alongside the location of your shoot to [email protected].