The Moon will pass into Earth’s shadow and appear to turn red on the night of March 13 or early in the morning of March 14, depending on time zone. Here’s what you need to know about the total lunar eclipse.
The March 2025 total lunar eclipse will take
place between late night on March 13 and early morning on March 14 across
several time zones. In this data visualization, the Moon moves from right to
left, passing through Earth’s shadow and leaving in its wake an eclipse diagram
with the times (in UTC) at various stages of the eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization
Studio
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar
eclipse occurs
when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s
shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part
of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the Moon is within the umbra, it
appears red-orange. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called “Blood Moons” because
of this phenomenon.
Alignment of the Moon, Earth, and Sun during a lunar
eclipse (not to scale).
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
How can I observe the eclipse?
You don’t need any special
equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will
enhance the view. A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best
viewing conditions.
This eclipse will be visible from
Earth’s Western Hemisphere.
Map showing where the March 13-14, 2025 lunar eclipse
is visible. Contours mark the edge of the visibility region at eclipse contact
times, labeled in UTC.
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Data visualization showing a telescopic view of
the Moon as the March 2025 total lunar eclipse unfolds. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization
Studio
Why does the Moon turn red during a
lunar eclipse?
The same phenomenon that makes
our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn reddish-orange during a
lunar eclipse. Sunlight appears white, but it actually contains a rainbow of
components—and different colors of light have different physical properties.
Blue light scatters relatively easily as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere.
Reddish light, on the other hand, travels more directly through the air.
When the Sun is high on a clear
day, we see blue light scattered throughout the sky overhead. At sunrise and
sunset, when the Sun is near the horizon, incoming sunlight travels a longer, low-angle path through Earth’s atmosphere to observers on the
ground. The bluer part of the sunlight scatters away in the distance (where
it’s still daytime), and only the yellow-to-red part of the spectrum reaches
our eyes.
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. It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is reddened by
sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
What else can I observe on the
night of the eclipse?
Look to the western sky on the
night of the eclipse for a glimpse of planets Jupiter and Mars. The Moon will
be in the constellation Leo, under the lion’s hind paw, at the beginning of the
eclipse; soon afterward, it will cross into the constellation Virgo. As Earth’s
shadow dims the Moon’s glow, constellations may be easier to spot than usual.
Visit our What’s Up guide for monthly skywatching tips, and find lunar observing recommendations for each day of the year in our Daily Moon Guide.
Writers:
Caela Barry, Ernie Wright, and Molly
Wasser
Source: What You Need To Know About the March 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science
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