Watch the Moon Blush Blood Red During a Total Lunar Eclipse
From Thursday night into Friday morning, Earth's shadow will swallow the moon, transforming the usually pearly orb into a striking red sphere.
It's the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years. Also known as a blood moon, the event will be most visible across the Americas, western parts of Africa and Europe, New Zealand and some of Russia.
'It's a lovely sight to see in the night sky,' said Amanda Bosh, the executive director of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, who has seen more than 20 lunar eclipses in her lifetime.
'I love seeing the solar system, the universe, at work,' she added.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align, in that order. There are different types of lunar eclipses that depend on how deeply the moon crosses into Earth's shadow, which is divided into an outer part, the penumbra and the umbra, the innermost section.
A total lunar eclipse, when the entire moon slips into the umbra, is by far the most dramatic variety. Earth's shadow envelops the face of the moon, causing it to shine scarlet. This happens because sunlight spilling over the edges of Earth and lighting up the lunar surface must first travel through our atmosphere, which more readily scatters blue wavelengths of light. Redder wavelengths pass through, creating the blood-moon effect.
According to Dr. Bosh, the exact shade of red during a lunar eclipse can vary. Clouds and recent natural disasters — like dust storms or volcanic eruptions, which leave particles in the air — can make the moon appear more crimson.
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Sources: NOAA/National Blend of Models (cloud cover); MapLibre (map rendering); Natural Earth (roads, labels and terrain); Protomaps (map tiles)
By William B. Davis, Joel Eastwood and Joey K. Lee
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels break seasonal records: NOAA
Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide made history last month by climbing to their highest seasonal peak available in historical records, a team of researchers reported. For the first time ever, these levels surpassed 430 parts per million (ppm) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which is considered the global benchmark site for tracking atmospheric carbon dioxide. The 430.2 ppm calculation for May marked a 3.5 ppm increase over May 2024's reading of 426.7 ppm, according to scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the the University of California, San Diego, who worked together with colleagues at NOAA. 'Another year, another record,' Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program, said in a statement. 'It's sad.' At an elevation of 11,141 feet above sea level, the observatory is located on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano and produces measurements that reflect the average state of the atmosphere for the Northern Hemisphere. Carbon dioxide, the scientists explained, acts like a blanket — trapping heat and warming the lower atmosphere, as well as altering weather patterns and fueling extreme weather events. The surge in CO2 concentrations is also contributing to acidification and causing changes in ocean chemistry that affect the survival of marine organisms, according to the researchers. A half-century of sampling at Mauna Loa, conducted by researchers at both NOAA and Scripps, have provided a baseline for tracking the increase of human-generated carbon emissions, the scientists noted. They acknowledged, however, that the station does not capture the full extent as to how carbon CO2 concentrations can vary across the planet — as stations in the Southern Hemisphere have yet to cross the 430-ppm threshold. NOAA's global sampling network, as well as 14 worldwide stations operated by the Scripps CO2 program, are also contributing to the broader planetary picture and helping identify locations of carbon sources and sinks, the researchers added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels break seasonal records: NOAA
Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide made history last month by climbing to their highest seasonal peak available in historical records, a team of researchers reported. For the first time ever, these levels surpassed 430 parts per million (ppm) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which is considered the global benchmark site for tracking atmospheric carbon dioxide. The 430.2 ppm calculation for May 2025 marked a 3.5 ppm increase over the previous May's reading of 426.7 ppm, according to scientists from the University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who worked together with colleagues at NOAA. 'Another year, another record,' Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program, said in a statement. 'It's sad.' At an elevation of 11,141 feet above sea level, the observatory is located on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano and produces measurements that reflect the average state of the atmosphere for the northern hemisphere. Carbon dioxide, the scientists explained, acts like a blanket — trapping heat and warming the lower atmosphere, as well as altering weather patterns and fueling extreme weather events. The surge in CO2 concentrations is also contributing to acidification and causing changes in ocean chemistry that affect the survival of marine organisms, according to the researchers. A half-century of sampling at Mauna Loa, conducted by researchers at both NOAA and Scripps, have provided a baseline for tracking the increase of human-generated carbon emissions, the scientists noted. They acknowledged, however, that the station does not capture the full extent as to how carbon CO2 concentrations can vary across the planet — as stations in the Southern Hemisphere have yet to cross the 430-ppm threshold. NOAA's global sampling network, as well as 14 worldwide stations operated by the Scripps CO2 program, are also contributing to the broader planetary picture and helping identify locations of carbon sources and sinks, the researchers added.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Carbon dioxide levels usually peak in May, but 2025's reading was like no other
An observatory high on Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano that measures carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reported its highest ever seasonal peak concentration of the greenhouse gas. For the first time, the May average exceeded 430 parts per million, reported scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Mauna Loa Observatory and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. "Another year, another record," said Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program. "It's sad." Carbon dioxide and other gases function like a blanket around the Earth, holding in heat and warming the atmosphere above the surface, scientists say. A broad consensus of international scientists say the rise in carbon dioxide concentrations is responsible for the globe's changing climate, helping to make natural weather events such as rainfall, drought and heat waves more extreme. While carbon dioxide is naturally present in Earth's atmosphere, scientists say the problem is the rate at which it's increasing, driven by fossil fuel emissions. Geoscientists at the University of Utah, who participated in a 2023 study with more than 90 scientists in 16 countries, previously stated that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are higher than they've been in human history and highest in at least 14 million years. Climate change policy: Shifting rapidly under Trump administration Last year, the average level of carbon dioxide rose faster over the previous year than at any other point since the recordings began, Scripps reported in January. The average readings for the 12 months was 3.58 parts per million higher than the previous year's average, breaking a record set in 2016. In both years, the climate pattern El Niño played a role, Keeling said in January. "Although this El Niño event ended early in 2024, it is often the case that El Niño events are associated with higher than normal CO2 growth extending into the northern hemisphere summer following the El Niño event." The historic 67-year-old laboratory at elevation 11,141 feet is the global benchmark location for monitoring carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Its measurements represent the average state of the atmosphere in the northern hemisphere. Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling, Ralph Keeling's father, began monitoring CO2 concentrations there in 1958. He was the first to realize CO2 levels peak in May in the northern hemisphere, fall during the growing season and rise again after plants die in the fall, according to Scripps. The fluctuations were presented in a record that became known as the Keeling Curve, which demonstrated carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere were increasing every year. NOAA initiated daily measurements at Mauna Loa in 1974 and has maintained a complementary, independent measurement record ever since. A global network that includes NOAA and Scripps, forms a dataset used by climate scientists internationally. Eruptions at Mauna Loa caused an interruption to power at the observatory in 2022, NOAA said. Scientists established a temporary measurement site at Mauna Kea nearby. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carbon dioxide levels hit new record in May Mauna Loa observation
