WASHINGTON — You’ll be able to turn your eyes skyward tonight to see a somewhat rare celestial occurrence: The first total lunar eclipse since 2022.
The total lunar eclipse, also known as a “blood moon,” will take place overnight between Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14. The last time there was a total lunar eclipse was in November 2022.
While it may not be as captivating as a total solar eclipse, the lunar eclipse still puts on quite a show.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of the Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra.
Initially the moon will appear to have a bite taken out of one side but as the eclipse nears its peak, the moon will take on a coppery tint — granting it the name “blood moon.” After the eclipse reaches its maximum, the process plays out in reverse and the reddish hue will slowly fade until the moon returns to normal.
Eclipses always come in pairs, meaning a solar eclipse will follow a few weeks after the total lunar eclipse. The next partial solar eclipse will only be visible from Eastern Canada, Greenland and Northern Europe, NASA says.
What time will the total lunar eclipse happen?
The eclipse will occur overnight between March 13 and March 14.
NASA says totality will begin around 2:26 a.m. Eastern time — this is when the moon will be a coppery red.
Totality is set to last for a little bit over an hour, ending at 3:31 a.m. Eastern. At this point, the moon’s reddish hue begins to fade, and the moon will appear to dim.
The eclipse will be over by 6 a.m. Eastern, NASA says.
Why does the moon turn red during a lunar eclipse?
The moon appears to turn crimson thanks to the same process that makes our skies blue and our sunsets red, NASA says.
When sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, blue light scatters more easily while red light travels more directly through the air. During a lunar eclipse, some of the sunlight passes all the way through the Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the moon’s surface, giving it a subtle glow.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA says.
The space agency says the intensity of the moon’s color will depend on the amount of dust or clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere at the time of the eclipse — the more clouds or dust there is, the redder it appears.
Do you need glasses to see a lunar eclipse?
No, unlike a solar eclipse (when the sun is blocked by the moon), a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to watch. They happen when the earth’s shadow blocks sunlight from hitting the moon, meaning there’s no direct sunlight to damage anybody’s eyes.
During a solar eclipse, the light of the sun is still visible around the edges of the moon, posing a danger to the eyes of skywatchers.
Usually when you look at the sun in the sky, the bright light damages the retinas in the back of your eyes. In fact, it can cause permanent damage in a matter of seconds, according to Scientific America.
Eclipse glasses, similar to masks used by welders, are often used to allow people to watch a solar eclipse.
Technically, you don’t need any eye protection during the height of a solar eclipse, when day turns to night and the sun is completely covered by the moon. In those minutes of complete darkness, the sun’s corona won’t be as bright, only appearing as streams of white light around the moon.
