NASA has revealed that a blood moon lunar eclipse will occur at about 12:02 am ET on November 8 and will reach full eclipse at 5:17 am ET. The next such blood moon lunar eclipse is projected to occur in the next three years, precisely on March 14, 2025. The November 8 lunar event is on general election day.
“During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s atmosphere scatters sunlight,” NASA explained. “The blue light from the sun scatters away, and longer-wavelength red, orange, and yellow light pass through, turning our moon red. The more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear. It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon.”
Blood moons are so-named because of their dark red hue. This phenomenon occurs the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, casting refracted light onto the moon. The redness of the moon will depend on the amount of dust or cloud in the Earth’s atmosphere when the event occurs.
The federal space agency announced that people in North America, the Pacific, Australia, and Eastern Asia will see the blood moon when it occurs. No special equipment is needed to watch the lunar eclipse, but binoculars or telescopes may enhance the red color and overall view of the moon. “A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions,” NASA stated.
It is also possible for observant watchers to see the planet Uranus not far away from the blood moon. It will be “just a finger’s width away” and will be most visible when the moon dims to a dull red hue.