The rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse started lighting up the sky late Thursday with a bright full Moon.
Why it matters: It’s the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022.
- Photos captured around the world late Thursday show a bright and illuminating Moon.
North Rhine-Westphalia, Solingen: The almost fully illuminated Moon shines in the night sky over Solingen, Germany. For places in Central Europe, the moon sets during the eclipse, even before the moon has fully entered the umbra. Photo: Gianni Gattus/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Moon appears red or orange during the lunar eclipse 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.
What we’re watching: The Moon will appear coppery red during the lunar eclipse’s totality phase for a little less than an hour, according to NASA’s timeline.
- This phase begins at 2:26am EDT Friday, 11:26pm PDT and 6:26 UTC.
- Totality ends at 3:31am EDT, which is 12:31am PDT and 7:31 UTC.
The full Moon rises over Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras on March 13. Photo: Orlando Sierra/AFP via Getty Images
Full Moon to appear full through Saturday
March’s full Moon, also known as the “Worm Moon,” is officially full at 2:55am EDT Friday, NASA said.
- It will appear full for about three days — from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning.
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Editor’s note: This story will be updated with additional photos.
