The Blood Moon Rises: A Total Lunar Eclipse

From Thursday night into Friday morning, the Earth’s shadow gradually overtook the moon’s typically bright white face, which took on a ruddy red hue. It was the first total lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, in more than two years.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align, in that order. There are different types of lunar eclipses, but total lunar eclipses cause the moon to shine red because sunlight must travel through the atmosphere before illuminating the moon. Blue wavelengths of light scatter more readily in our atmosphere, but redder wavelengths pass through, creating the blood-moon effect.

The blood moon was most visible this week in the Americas, western parts of Africa and Europe, New Zealand and some of Russia.

Local stargazing groups and planetariums in many cities hosted watch parties, while others got the chance to see it online. Totality, when the entire moon is engulfed in the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, was expected at 2:25 a.m. Eastern.

But anyone who missed it won’t have to wait long for another chance. Lunar eclipses can occur several times a year, though not all of them reach totality. According to NASA, the next total lunar eclipse will occur in September, most visible in Asia and parts of Europe, Africa and Australia. There will be another total lunar eclipse next March, followed by a partial lunar eclipse in August 2026.

Humanity’s well-documented and ancient fascination with the Earth’s only natural satellite means that stargazers across the planet last night participated in an activity as old as time: They turned their eyes to the sky. Here’s what that looked like in different locations around the world:

Katrina Miller contributed reporting.