Total lunar eclipse will cause moon to turn red in March

Total lunar eclipse will cause moon to turn red in March

Brian Lada

The first "Blood Moon" eclipse since 2022 will cause the moon to change colors on March 13-14, and it will be visible across North America, as long as cloudy weather doesn't spoil the show.

The moon will turn red in the middle of March as the first total lunar eclipse since 2022 unfolds in the night sky -- one of the top astronomical sights of 2025.

Large parts of the world can see total lunar eclipses as long as the weather cooperates, which is the opposite of a total solar eclipse, which can only be seen from a small area.

The eclipse on the night of March 13-14 will unfold over North America and South America. A few areas of western Europe, western Africa and New Zealand will also be able to briefly see the event.

The upcoming event is also known as a Blood Moon, as the mood often turns deep red during the climax of the spectacle. This color is caused by the scant amount of sunlight that reaches the moon.

"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," NASA explained. "It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon."

The exact color seen during the eclipse can be traced back to the Earth. Changes in the planet's atmosphere, such as the aftermath of volcanic eruptions, can result in slightly different colors during totality.

Sometimes the eclipsed moon appears dark red, other times rusty orange and, on occasion, there can be a sliver of blue evident.

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