Tonight will be the perfect evening to stay up late in the United States, because the moon is going to put on a spectacular show.
In the wee hours of the morning, night owls can witness a full blood moon, supermoon, “worm” moon, and a total lunar eclipse. In addition to Americans, parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, South America, and Africa can also get in on the action.
Let’s take a deeper look at what that means and how you can see the spectacle:
The March 2025 full moon is many things
According to NASA, in the 1930s the Maine Farmers’ Almanac started publishing names for the full moons based on Native American traditions. This took off and became the preferred monikers for the celestial phenomenon.
Each tribe had its own unique name. Northeastern and Southern tribes called the full moon in March the Worm Moon, because of the worm castings (worm waste) found during the month. Northern tribes called it the Sap or Sugar Moon, because it was time to tap maple trees.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
There are different types of lunar eclipses, NASA says. The Earth orbits the sun and the moon orbits the Earth. When these three line up, the moon enters the Earth’s shadow, creating a lunar eclipse. When the whole moon is in the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, a total lunar eclipse occurs.
What is a blood moon and why is it red?
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears to have a red tint. This is where the term “blood moon” comes from.
A blood moon gets its hue from the light in Earth’s atmosphere. During a total lunar eclipse, Earth is positioned between the sun and the moon. Even though the sun’s direct light is blocked, the Earth refracts some light, which travels to the moon. Because of red light’s longer wavelength, it has an easier time traveling to the moon, giving it the red tint.
What makes this moon a supermoon?
While this is marvelous to look at, there are no superheroes here. A supermoon means the moon is at its closest point to the earth during a full moon.
How and when can I see the eclipse and blood moon?
The moon will be in totality—or completely eclipsed—for around 65 minutes on Thursday night, although it will technically be in the early-morning hours of Friday, March 14, for most time zones. According to Space.com, this will occur:
- Eastern Time: 2:26 a.m.–3:31 a.m.
- Central Time: 1:26 a.m.–2:31 a.m.
- Pacific Time: 11:26 p.m.–12:31 a.m.
Diehard skygazers can make the most of the experience by heading outside around 75 minutes before totality to witness the moon travel fully through Earth’s shadow. It is best seen away from the bright lights of the city.
One advantage of a lunar eclipse is that viewers don’t have to worry about hurting their eyes, unlike their solar counterparts. No special equipment is needed, but binoculars and telescopes would help you see the moon in greater detail.
Happy viewing!
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