Watch the Moon Turn Red During a Total Lunar Eclipse in March
by Adithi Ramakrishnan
A total lunar eclipse will flush the moon red Thursday night into Friday morning across the Western Hemisphere.
The best views will be from North America and South America. Parts of Africa and Europe may catch a glimpse.
Lunar eclipses happen when the moon, Earth, and sun align just so. The Earth casts a shadow that can partially or totally blot out the moon.
During a partial lunar eclipse, Earth's shadow appears to take a bite out of the moon. The full moon is covered during a total eclipse and blushes coppery red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere.
Lunar and solar eclipses happen anywhere from four to seven times a year, according to NASA. A partial lunar eclipse graced skies in the Americas, Africa, and Europe last September, and the last total lunar eclipse was in 2022.
How to See the Lunar Eclipse
The so-called blood moon will be visible for about an hour starting at 2:26 a.m. Eastern on Friday morning. Peak viewing will be close to 3 a.m. Eastern.
To see it, venture outside and look up—no need for eclipse glasses or any special equipment.
"As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it," said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.
The setting of the moon may make it harder to see the eclipse in Europe and Africa.
"This is really an eclipse for North and South America," said astronomy expert Michael Faison from Yale University.
If you miss out, mark your calendar for September 7. Another total lunar eclipse will sweep across parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. Parts of the Americas will get their next taste in March 2026.
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
Related Articles
- Catch a partial lunar eclipse during September's supermoon
- Total lunar eclipse on Jan 20-21 will be last until 2022
- 1st lunar eclipse of 2023 dims full moon ever so slightly
© 2025 Phys.org
Get Instant Summarized Text (Gist)
A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon red, visible primarily in North and South America, with partial views in Africa and Europe. This phenomenon occurs when the Earth, moon, and sun align, causing Earth's shadow to cover the moon, which appears red due to sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere. The eclipse will last about an hour, peaking at 3 a.m. Eastern. The next total lunar eclipse visible in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe is on September 7.
This summary was automatically generated using LLM. Full disclaimer
Let us know if there is a problem with our content
Your message to the editorsYour email (only if you want to be contacted back)Send Feedback
E-mail the story
Watch the moon turn red during a total lunar eclipse in March
Your friend's emailYour emailI would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn moreYour messageSend
