On March 13-14, 2025, most of the Western Hemisphere will be able to observe a total lunar eclipse. This includes all of the continental United States and Mexico. If you have heard of a “Blood Moon” recently in the news headlines, this is the colloquial name for a total lunar eclipse. Keep reading to learn what a lunar eclipse is, why the Moon looks red, and what we will see from Missouri!

What’s a lunar eclipse?

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow. Earth’s shadow has two parts: the umbra and the penumbra. When the Moon passes through the umbra, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, this is a total lunar eclipse. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon appears a reddish-orange color as it passes through Earth’ umbra. When the Moon passes through the penumbra, this is considered a partial lunar eclipse. The Moon may appear a little darker than normal as it passes through the penumbra, but usually does not change in appearance.

Why does the Moon turn red?

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon appears to turn a red or orange color as it passes through Earth’s umbra. The reason for this is due to Earth’s atmosphere bending the light from the Sun. This is the same reason the sky is blue during the day and sunsets/sunrises are red and orange.

Sunlight is white light made up of a spectrum of colors. When moving through Earth’s atmosphere, violet and blue light scatters while red and orange light can move through the atmosphere. When the Sun is high in the sky on a clear day, the Sun appears yellow and the sky appears blue due to this scattering. In the evening when the Sun is setting, you are looking through more of the Earth’s atmosphere and only see the red and orange light.

During a lunar eclipse, Moon appears red because the blue light from the Sun is scattered away, leaving only the red and orange light to illuminate the Moon.

Left: Image of red sunset. Right: Image of lunar eclipse in August 2007 with Memorial Union Tower to the right.

How to Observe the Lunar Eclipse

Unlike solar eclipses, you do not need special equipment or glasses to view the lunar eclipse. You can simply use your eyes to watch, staying away from bright street lights or house lights. Using a small telescope or binoculars will enhance your view of the Moon.

As long as there are clear skies from your observing location, the eclipse will be easily visible from anywhere in North America.

When to Observe the Lunar Eclipse

The lunar eclipse will occur overnight during March 13th and March 14th 2025. The following chart from timeanddate.com indicates the local eclipse times for Columbia, Missouri.

The partial eclipse will begin at 10:57pm on March 13 and end at 5:00am on March 14 with eclipse maximum occurring at 1:58am on March 14.