The tri-state area is being treated to a full lunar eclipse this week.
If you manage to be awake between 2:26 a.m. and 3:31 a.m. on Friday, you’ll notice the full moon taking on a reddish hue for a little over an hour. That is of course, if sky conditions cooperate.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align so that the Earth casts its shadow on the moon. This is contrary a total solar eclipse where the moon is casting its shadow over a portion of the Earth, temporarily obstructing view of the sun.
A lunar eclipse is comparatively more common than a solar eclipse because the Earth is much larger than the moon and thus casts a much bigger shadow through which the moon can travel. This also allows totality to be seen over a large portion of the globe, instead of one relatively thin “path of totality” like we have with a solar eclipse.
As a result, it’s very possible for a given location to experience more than one total lunar eclipse within the same year. But when it comes to a solar eclipse, it’ll often take centuries before the same location falls within the path of totality twice.
Why don’t we have a lunar eclipse every month?
If all it takes to produce a lunar eclipse is the moon passing through the Earth’s shadow, you would think this would be a monthly occurrence. But it isn’t. That is because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is not perfectly in line with the Earth’s orbit around the sun; it orbits on a slight tilt. And this tilt is enough that most months the full moon passes above or below the Earth’s shadow, meaning no eclipse.
Why is it called the 'Blood Moon'?
You’ll often hear the moon during an eclipse referred to as the “Blood Moon.” This name comes from the reddish hue the moon has during totality. But what makes it red in the first place?
Since the moon is passing directly through the Earth’s shadow, the white light from the sun cannot reach it. Instead the only light reaching the moon is that which has been refracted while traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere. And as light moves through the atmosphere, colors with shorter wavelengths, like blue, get scattered out while colors with longer wavelengths, like red, do not, meaning it is mostly red light being cast onto the moon during the eclipse.
This is the same reason why the sky looks red at sunrise and sunset; light has to travel through more of the atmosphere when the sun is at the horizon, and it’s primarily the red light that successfully makes it through; blue gets scattered out.
How can you see the lunar eclipse?
You don’t need special glasses or a telescope to see a lunar eclipse, you just need proper timing and clear sky conditions. Timing-wise the lunar eclipse will peak just before 3 a.m. Friday, so be sure to set an alarm if you want to try to see it.
Unfortunately, even if you can time out your sleep schedule, sky conditions are not looking terribly favorable at the moment. Skies will be mostly cloudy Friday morning, meaning there is a good chance part or all of the moon will be obscured. Of course, there is always time for the forecast to change, so stay tuned. But for now, you may want to let yourself sleep Friday morning and hope the next eclipse fairs better. It’s coming our way on March 3, 2026.
