On Thursday night into Friday morning, Earth will witness a total lunar eclipse that will turn the moon into a striking red sphere, also known as a blood moon. This will be the first total lunar eclipse in over two years, and will be most visible across the Americas, western parts of Africa and Europe, New Zealand, and some parts of Russia. The event will occur over about six hours, starting with the moon entering Earth’s penumbra at around 11:56 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. The eclipse will reach totality at 2:25 a.m. on Friday, lasting for just over an hour before the moon starts to brighten white again and completes its journey at 6:01 a.m.
Despite a winter storm moving across the United States, sky viewers in certain areas, such as portions of Florida, the central and southern Plains, west and south Texas, and the Ohio Valley into the southern Appalachian Mountains, may have a chance to witness the eclipse. However, most of the West is expected to be cloudy, with better viewing conditions in the desert Southwest. In the northern Plains and northern half of the East Coast, clear views may be more difficult to come by. If clouds are present during the eclipse, it is worth looking again later, especially if the clouds are thin or seem to be moving.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align, with different types of eclipses depending on how deeply the moon enters Earth’s shadow. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon is engulfed in the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, causing it to shine scarlet. This happens because sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue wavelengths of light, allowing red wavelengths to pass through and create the blood moon effect. Other types of eclipses include penumbral eclipses, when the moon grazes through the outer part of Earth’s shadow, and partial eclipses, when only a portion of the moon enters the innermost umbra.
Anyone on the night side of Earth will have the opportunity to see the lunar eclipse, with skywatchers in North America and South America having the best view of the entire event. No special equipment is needed to view the eclipse, as it can be seen with the naked eye. Local stargazing groups and planetariums may be hosting watch parties, or viewers can watch a live broadcast of the eclipse online. For those on the moon, they would experience a solar eclipse as Earth aligns between the sun and moon, casting a red-tinged ring of light over the blue planet.
The next total lunar eclipse after this one will occur in September, most visible in Asia and parts of Europe, Africa, and Australia. There will also be another total lunar eclipse in March, followed by a partial lunar eclipse in August. Lunar eclipses are often paired with solar eclipses, with a partial solar eclipse set to be visible in parts of North America and Europe on March 29, following this lunar eclipse. A spacecraft, Blue Ghost from Firefly Aerospace, will attempt to witness and record Wednesday’s eclipse from a lunar vantage, relying on its batteries to power through the hours of darkness.
