Set an alarm and reminders to look at the sky for the rare chance to see a Blood Moon total lunar eclipse late Thursday night and early Friday morning.
The big picture: It’s the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022.
- All of the phases of the eclipse are expected to last around six hours.
- North America and South America are expected to get the best views of the eclipse, but it will be visible across the Western Hemisphere.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon align so the moon passes into Earth’s shadow, according to NASA.
- Total lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes into the dark shadow of the Earth.
Lunar eclipses are sometimes called “Blood Moons” because the Moon will turn a reddish and copper hue, NASA said.
What time does the lunar eclipse start tonight?
When to watch: The hours for when the lunar eclipse will be visible vary by time zone.
- The initial phase of the eclipse, called the penumbral eclipse, begins at 11:57pm EDT and 8:57pm PDT Thursday, NASA said in its timeline.
- The partial eclipse begins at 1:09am EDT Friday, which is 10:09pm PDT Thursday, and as the Moon moves into the umbra “it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk.”
- Totality begins at 2:26am EDT Friday or 11:26pm PDT Thursday. In totality, the Moon is “tinted a coppery red.”
What time does the total lunar eclipse end?
Totality ends at 3:31am EDT/12:31am PDT.
- The partial eclipse ends when the Moon has set in 4:47am EDT or 1:47am PDT.
- The penumbral eclipse ends when the Moon has set in 6am EDT or 3am PDT.
How to see the total lunar eclipse live
What we’re watching: Unlike a solar eclipse, anyone with a view of the Moon during a lunar eclipse will be able to see it as it occurs, NASA said. Special equipment isn’t needed to observe a lunar eclipse.
- “Binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view,” NASA said, noting a “dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions.”
- Timeanddate.com will have a live stream of the lunar eclipse starting at 1am EDT Friday.
March full Moon is the “Worm Moon”
The Moon, known as the “Worm Moon,” will be full early Friday morning at 2:55am EDT, NASA said.
- It will appear full for about three days — from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning.
- NASA said the Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s and called the March full Moon the Crow, Crust, Sap, Sugar or Worm Moon.
Why the Moon appears red during total lunar eclipse
How it works: The Moon appears red or orange because “any sunlight that’s not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA said.
- “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA said.
Solar eclipse 2025
What’s next: Get your solar eclipse glasses ready as the first solar eclipse of 2025 will be on March 29 and is a partial eclipse.
- It will be visible from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, NASA says.
- There is also a Sept. 21 partial eclipse that NASA said will be visible from Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
Next lunar eclipse
Zoom out: The March total lunar eclipse is the last one that will be visible in the United States this year.
- There will be a total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7 that will be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
- A March 3, 2026, total eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, NASA said.
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