A rare total lunar eclipse happens this week. Will skies be clear for the 'blood moon' in Indiana?
Despite a chance for thunderstorms, central Indiana can be cautiously optimistic about catching North America's one and only total lunar eclipse of 2025 when it shines above the Hoosier state later this week.
Beginning Thursday night into early Friday morning, the full moon will turn a coppery shade of red as it slips behind the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, or umbra, in what's referred to as a "blood moon."
This year's total lunar eclipse isn't one to be missed, say experts, because of how high the moon will be positioned in the sky. Future total lunar eclipses — not happening in the Americas until 2026 and 2029 — will be lower on the horizon and possibly more difficult to see.
Enjoying this rare lunar spectacle will hinge largely on the weather. Here's what we know about central Indiana's forecast ahead of the total lunar eclipse.
The moon will pass through Earth's shadow and appear red the night of Thursday, March 13, into the early morning of Friday, March 14, 2025.
A lunar eclipse is an alignment of the Earth, moon and sun where the moon passes through the Earth's shadow, or umbra. As it does, the moon will appear to darken and take on a crimson shade of red.
Story continues after photo gallery.
You might need an extra cup of coffee (or two, or three) if you plan on catching the total lunar eclipse in Indiana. Dr. Aarran Shaw, who serves as director of Holcomb Observatory and teaches Physics and Astronomy at Butler University, says this year's rare lunar moment is for night owls.
"The partial phase will begin at 1:09 a.m. EST (Friday) and totality will start at 2:26 a.m. and last for over an hour, much longer than the solar eclipse last year," Shaw told IndyStar in an earlier message.
"This is probably our best shot at taking in the full glory of a total lunar eclipse for a while, simply because of the altitude of the moon during totality — more than 50 degrees above the horizon."
Shaw said the next total lunar eclipse for the Americas isn't scheduled until early March 2026 and might be difficult to watch because of how close it will be to the horizon.
"After 2026, the next total lunar eclipse visible from Indiana won't be until 2029 — again close to the horizon," he said.
Keep your fingers crossed. The weather forecast for central Indiana includes a chance for thunderstorms, but as of Monday, local meteorologists say conditions should be favorable for watching the total lunar eclipse.
"Right now, it looks like great viewing conditions," said meteorologist Cody Moore with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. "It looks like we'll have partly cloudy skies clearing out at night."
According to NWS, Thursday calls for a high near 73 with partly sunny skies and a 20% chance of thunderstorms after 2 p.m. There's a 10% chance of thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Thursday, with lows near 52 and partly cloudy skies.
"Highs will be in the mid 70s and lows in the low 50s, so perfect weather for being outside," Moore said.
AccuWeather also predicts "good viewing conditions for the lunar eclipse," forecasting Thursday night into early Friday morning will be clear to partly cloudy and mild.
From start to finish, a total lunar eclipse is a magnificent sight to behold. Here's what Hoosiers will be seeing during the event, writes NASA:
11:57 p.m., Penumbral eclipse begins: The moon enters the Earth's penumbra, the outer part of the shadow. The moon begins to dim, but the effect is quite subtle.
1:09 a.m., Partial eclipse begins: The moon begins to enter Earth's umbra and the partial eclipse begins. To the naked eye, as the moon moves into the umbra, it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk. The part of the moon inside the umbra appears very dark.
2:26 a.m., Totality begins: The entire moon is now in the Earth's umbra. The moon is tinted a coppery red. Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds.
3:31 a.m., Totality ends: As the moon exits Earth's umbra, the red color fades. It looks as if a bite is being taken out of the opposite side of the lunar disk from before.
4:47 a.m., Partial eclipse ends: The whole moon is in Earth's penumbra, but again, the dimming is subtle.
6 a.m., Penumbral eclipse ends: The eclipse is over.
During a total lunar eclipse the moon appears red, but why? According to NASA, that's because of how sunlight strikes the moon's surface after passing through our atmosphere.
Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blues and violets, scatter more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, which include red and orange, writes NASA. The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, the redder the moon appears.
The process occurs regularly on Earth with every dawn and dusk, explains Shaw.
"This reddish color comes from the Sun's light being refracted through the Earth's atmosphere such that only the red portion of the rainbow falls on the Moon," Shaw said. "This is actually the same physical process that causes the sky to be red at sunrise and sunset."
The next total lunar eclipse in North America will be March 3, 2026.
More about full moons in 2025: When every full moon shines in 2025. Dates, times and the history behind each name.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Total lunar eclipse 2025: What is Indiana's weather forecast March 13-14
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