When to See the Rare "Blood Worm Moon" Total Lunar Eclipse This Week
It's official. You have a good excuse to stay up on a school night this week. A total lunar eclipse is happening the night of March 13-14, 2025, entering totality at 2:26 a.m. EDT, and everyone across the United States can enjoy it in all its eerie, shadowy glory.
A total lunar eclipse happens when a full moon aligns perfectly with the Sun and Earth. It's different than a total solar eclipse, like the one many of us saw in April of last year, because this time we're in the middle. Instead of looking toward the sun, we observe this event by looking toward the moon at night (no eclipse glasses required!)
Our view of the moon is not obscured by any celestial body during a total lunar eclipse. Rather, our planet casts its full shadow on the moon. Because all the light reflecting off the lunar surface during a total eclipse filters through particles in our atmosphere first, the moon takes on a reddish hue (our sky turns different colors at sunrise and sunset for the same reason). That sanguine tint is the reason some call a total lunar eclipses a Blood Moon.
March's full moon is called the Worm Moon, a name given by The Old Farmer's Almanac, whose popular seasonal moon names are inspired by traditional Indigenous American, Colonial American, and European sources. According to the publication, this particular name comes from Dakota people and refers to the beetle larvae that emerge from tree bark around this time of year.
So, just to be clear, a Blood Worm Moon sounds very ominous. But there is no blood, no bloodworms, and, really, no worms either save for the beetle larvae's similar appearance. All the name really means is a total lunar eclipse in March.
You don't need anything special to view the total lunar eclipse except a clock and a natural talent for being a night owl. NASA does recommend seeking out a 'dark environment away from bright lights' for optimal viewing. If you've got 'em, a telescope or binoculars will enhance your lunar eclipse-gazing experience but are not necessary.
The event begins with a penumbral eclipse at 11:57 p.m. EDT. At this point, the moon will be in Earth's outer shadow, and the effect is subtle—just a slight dimming of the moon.
At 1:09 a.m. EDT, part of the moon will enter the Earth's dark inner shadow, aka the umbra. This is a partial eclipse. 'It looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk,' NASA says.
Totality begins at 2:26 a.m. EDT and ends at 3:31 a.m. EDT. This is your window to see that telltale reddish hue of a Blood Moon!
Next, it's back to a partial eclipse, which ends at 4:47 a.m. EDT. At 6:00 a.m. EDT, the moon exits the penumbral eclipse stage, and the event is officially over.
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