For the night owls looking to see a dazzling celestial event, the "blood moon" occurring between March 13 and 14 is one not to miss.
A total lunar eclipse will be able to be viewed in all 50 states as well as Central America and South America.
The moon will be bathed in a copper, reddish light for more than an hour across an overall event that will last about three hours. The last one occurred in November 2022 on the day of the congressional mid-term elections.
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What is a total lunar eclipse?
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SIGN UP A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the light of the sun from striking the full moon because all three are roughly aligned in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle.
Lunar eclipses have informally called “blood moons” because the moon turns an eerie copper or reddish color. Michael Shanahan, the director of the Liberty Science Center Planetarium in Jersey City, N.J., told TODAY.com the copper or red appearance of the moon is due to the Earth's atmosphere.
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"The reason is because our atmosphere blocks blue light coming from the sun, but the longer wavelengths of red light make it through our atmosphere to the moon to produce the effect," Shanahan said.
When is the total lunar eclipse occurring? Best time to see it
The first moment you'll be able to see a visible change in the moon will be at 1:09 a.m. ET on March 14 or 10:09 p.m. PT on March 13, so it's dependent on where you are viewing it from, according to Shanahan.
The edge of the moon will begin to darken, which will last for more than an hour.
At 2:26 a.m. ET on March 14, the moon will entirely be in the dark shadow of the Earth, which will last until 3:21 a.m. ET.
"That is when you're most likely to see the 'blood moon' effect," Shanahan said. "If you're going to set an alarm to wake up and see it, that 2:26 a.m. period would be the best time to do it."
While the main "blood moon" phase ends at 3:31 a.m. ET, the partial phase will continue until 4:47 a.m., which is the last time you will be able to notice any darkening of the moon. After that time, it goes back to being a regular full moon.
Where can I see the total lunar eclipse?
The total lunar eclipse will be able to be seen from North America, Central America and South America, weather permitting. No matter where you are in the U.S., it will be able to be viewed.
There is another total lunar eclipse in September, but in that case it will primarily be able to be seen in Africa, Europe and Asia, rather than the Americas.
What is the best way to watch the total lunar eclipse?
All you need to do is look up at the sky at the moon.
There are no protective glasses or eyewear necessary like there were in the total solar eclipse that occurred in 2024 across the U.S.
If the weather is cloudy or rainy in your area, there are also going to be live online broadcasts of the lunar eclipse by the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and on the Time and Date website.
There also may be viewing events in your area. For instance, the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey is opening its doors for "Late-Night Lunar Mania" from March 13 to 14 starting at midnight to allow people to view the eclipse through a telescope.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
