The only total lunar eclipse of 2025 visible from North America will take place in March, a University of Guelph physicist says.
Orbax, a lecturer in the Department of Physics in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, says the eclipse that begins in the early morning hours of March 14 will be our only chance to see a total lunar eclipse this year.
Orbax explains that since the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle locked on a singular plane, it doesn’t always line up with the Earth’s shadow. When it does, there’s a lunar eclipse.
This month’s moon is called the Full Worm Blood Moon, named for the time of year when earthworms emerge from the soil at the first signs of spring. The “blood” moon aspect describes the red tint the moon takes on during the eclipse.
“As the sun’s light passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it scatters,” Orbax explains. “This results in shorter wavelengths, like blue light, being diverted away from the moon whereas longer wavelengths, like red light, are what bathe the moon.”
According to Orbax, the total eclipse will start across most of North America around 2:30 a.m. ET on March 14, reaching totality at 3 a.m. It will return to a normal full moon by 6 a.m., until it sets just before 8.
Unlike a solar eclipse, Orbax says it’s perfectly safe to look at a lunar eclipse with the unaided eye. Viewers can also use binoculars or a telescope.
Orbax is available for interviews. Learn more about the lunar eclipse in March’s Star Gazing Guide.
Contact:
Orbax
orbax@uoguelph.ca