Total lunar eclipse will cause moon to turn red in March
The first "Blood Moon" eclipse since 2022 will cause the moon to change colors on March 13-14, and it will be visible across North America, as long as cloudy weather doesn't spoil the show.
A Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost spacecraft captured incredible views of the far side of the moon on Feb. 18. The craft was orbiting just under 75 miles above the moon’s surface.
The moon will turn red in the middle of March as the first total lunar eclipse since 2022 unfolds in the night sky -- one of the top astronomical sights of 2025.
Where will the total lunar eclipse be visible?
Large parts of the world can see total lunar eclipses as long as the weather cooperates, which is the opposite of a total solar eclipse, which can only be seen from a small area.
The eclipse on the night of March 13-14 will unfold over North America and South America. A few areas of western Europe, western Africa and New Zealand will also be able to briefly see the event.
This will be the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2025, but it will be the only one visible from North America. The next is on Sept. 7-8 and will be seen over Asia, Australia and parts of Africa and Europe.
Why will the moon turn red?
The upcoming event is also known as a Blood Moon, as the mood often turns deep red during the climax of the spectacle. This color is caused by the scant amount of sunlight that reaches the moon.
"During a lunar eclipse, 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 on its way to the lunar surface," NASA explained. "It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon."
The exact color seen during the eclipse can be traced back to the Earth. Changes in the planet's atmosphere, such as the aftermath of volcanic eruptions, can result in slightly different colors during totality.
Sometimes the eclipsed moon appears dark red, other times rusty orange and, on occasion, there can be a sliver of blue evident.
A Blood Moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse on January 20, 2019, in Marina Del Rey, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images)
What time is the total lunar eclipse?
March's total lunar eclipse will last a little over an hour and, for millions of skywatchers, will require losing a bit of sleep to see.
Across the East Coast of the U.S., the show will take place during the second half of the night, with the best time to look being at 2:58 a.m. EDT. The eclipse will happen earlier in the night for areas farther West, with the height of the eclipse taking place two minutes before midnight in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
The next total lunar eclipse visible from North America will be on March 3, 2026, with the best views expected across the western United States and western Canada.
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