Experience the Blood Moon 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Witnessing March’s Stunning Total Lunar Eclipse Across North America

Get ready for a total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13-14, 2025! This will be the first chance to see such an event since 2022. People in North and South America will enjoy a perfect view of the “blood moon,” which will look stunning.

During this eclipse, the full moon will pass through Earth’s shadow for about five hours. It will turn a deep red for around 65 minutes. Unlike a total solar eclipse, which can only be seen from specific areas, a total lunar eclipse can be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. This means all of North America, including Alaska and Hawaii, will have a great show. In Western Europe, the moon will set while it’s still eclipsed, and folks in Australia and New Zealand will see it rise, fully eclipsed.

A total lunar eclipse happens when Earth is directly between the sun and the moon. Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, blocks all direct sunlight, causing the moon to glow red. This happens because sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out shorter wavelengths, letting through only the longer, reddish wavelengths—just like during sunrise and sunset.

Here’s how the eclipse unfolds: it will go through five stages, starting at 11:57 p.m. and ending around 6 a.m. EDT (03:57 to 10:00 UTC). The first stage occurs when the moon enters Earth’s outer shadow, losing its brightness. It then moves into the umbra, slowly turning a beautiful red. The highlight is during totality when the entire surface of the moon becomes reddish. After about 65 minutes, the moon will start escaping from the shadow, returning to its usual bright color.

For those in Eastern North America, the partial phase kicks off at 1:09 a.m. EDT on March 14. Totality will last from 2:26 a.m. to 3:32 a.m. EDT. If you’re on the West Coast, the partial phase begins at 10:09 p.m. PDT on March 13, with totality from 11:26 p.m. to 12:32 a.m. PDT on March 14. Remember, these times vary by time zone, but the eclipse happens at the same moment globally.

You can see the entire eclipse with just your eyes, but a good telescope or binoculars can enhance the experience. You’ll be able to spot the Earth’s shadow moving over the moon and maybe even see some of its craters more clearly.

If you miss the March eclipse, don’t worry! Another total lunar eclipse will occur on September 7-8, 2025, but it will be best viewed from Asia.