The night sky is set to host a spectacular total lunar eclipse, commonly referred to as a blood moon, visible from various parts of the world. This event, where the moon turns a deep red as it passes through Earth’s shadow, is the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022, offering a rare viewing opportunity for skywatchers. Below, we detail the event, its visibility, timings, and how to watch, drawing from multiple reliable sources to ensure a thorough understanding.
Event Overview
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth aligns between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow over the lunar surface. During this alignment, the moon enters the Earth’s umbral shadow, appearing red due to the scattering of sunlight by Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out blue light and allows red light to reach the moon. This phenomenon is why it’s called a blood moon, and it coincides with the March full moon, often known as the Worm Moon, hence sometimes referred to as the Blood Worm Moon.
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Timing and Stages
The eclipse begins with the penumbral phase, where the moon enters the lighter outer shadow of Earth, starting at 03:57:28 UTC on March 14, 2025, which is 09:27:28 AM IST. The partial eclipse, where the moon starts entering the darker umbral shadow, begins at 05:09:40 UTC (10:39:40 AM IST). The total phase, where the moon is fully within the umbra and appears red, starts at 06:26:06 UTC (11:56:06 AM IST) and ends at 07:31:26 UTC (1:01:26 PM IST), with the maximum eclipse at 06:58:43 UTC (12:28:43 PM IST). The partial phase ends at 08:47:52 UTC (2:17:52 PM IST), and the penumbral phase concludes at 10:00:09 UTC (3:30:09 PM IST). The total duration is 6 hours and 3 minutes, with 1 hour and 5 minutes of totality.
However, in India, at 01:52 PM IST, the eclipse is ongoing, but the moon is below the horizon during daylight, making it invisible. This is because the eclipse occurs during the night in the Western Hemisphere, where it’s visible.
Visibility Regions
The total lunar eclipse is visible from:
North America: Including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the best views across the continent.
South America: Visible throughout, with good viewing conditions.
Parts of Europe: Western and central regions, such as the UK and France, may see the end of the eclipse, depending on local moonset times.
Parts of Africa: Western regions, like Nigeria and Ghana, may catch the later stages.
It is not visible from Asia, including India, as the eclipse occurs during daylight hours when the moon is below the horizon. Similarly, in Australia, visibility is limited, with parts like Sydney potentially seeing the eclipse as the sun sets, but it’s not optimal.
According to Total Lunar Eclipse on March 13–14, 2025 – Where and When to See, the eclipse is visible to about 13% of the world’s population for the total phase, with 1,090,000,000 people seeing the entire total phase and 1,050,000,000 seeing both total and partial phases.
