A rare celestial event is set to take place on March 13-14, with North America being the perfect viewing spot for a total lunar eclipse, commonly known as a “blood moon.” Here’s what you need to know about this spectacular event.
During a total lunar eclipse, Earth positions itself between the sun and a full moon, casting its umbra on the lunar surface. This alignment causes the sun’s light to be refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere, giving the moon its distinctive red color, known as the “blood moon” effect.
Unlike solar eclipses, which are limited in duration and visibility, total lunar eclipses can be seen from anywhere on the night side of the Earth. On March 13-14, totality will last for approximately 65 minutes due to the moon’s distance from Earth, making it a rare treat for stargazers.
The event begins with the moon entering the Earth’s penumbra, gradually losing brightness. As the moon moves into the umbra, the partial eclipse phase starts, and the surface becomes redder. The entire process, including the “blood moon” effect, will take several hours to unfold.
Viewers in North America can start observing the eclipse during the partial phase on March 14 at 1:09 a.m. EDT, with totality lasting from 2:26 a.m. to 3:32 a.m. EDT. The West Coast will also witness the event, starting at 10:09 p.m. PDT on March 13.
The “blood moon” gets its distinct red color from Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out shorter wavelengths of light and scatters longer wavelengths toward the moon. This phenomenon is known as Rayleigh scattering, similar to what occurs during a sunset.
There are two total lunar eclipses this year, with North America experiencing its first since 2022 on March 13-14.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/03/04/blood-moon-2025-what-is-a-total-lunar-eclipse