A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon red on Thursday night into Friday morning across the Western Hemisphere, offering the best views from North and South America. Some parts of Africa and Europe may also be able to catch a glimpse. During lunar eclipses, the moon, Earth, and sun align in a way that the Earth’s shadow partially or completely covers the moon. In a partial lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow takes a bite out of the moon, while in a total eclipse, the moon appears coppery red due to sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere. Lunar and solar eclipses occur between four to seven times a year, with the most recent partial lunar eclipse occurring in September and the last total lunar eclipse in 2022.
To view the upcoming lunar eclipse, known as the blood moon, simply look up at the sky starting at 2:26 a.m. Eastern time on Friday morning, with peak viewing around 3 a.m. Eastern. No special equipment is needed to witness this natural phenomenon. If the sky is clear, the eclipse should be visible. However, visibility may be challenging in Europe and Africa due to the moon’s setting.
Historically, civilizations have observed and interpreted lunar eclipses for thousands of years. Ancient cultures had a deep understanding of celestial events, with Aristotle noting the curved shadow cast by the Earth on the moon during eclipses as evidence of the Earth’s round shape. In ancient Mesopotamia, a blood red moon was viewed as a bad omen for the king, leading the people to install a substitute ruler to protect the king from any ill effects.
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