Title: “A Fiery Blood Moon Eclipse: What to Expect”
Denominations: Science, Astronomy, Space, Lunar Eclipse
Logan Tucker
Mar, 13, 2025
1,550 words
Abstract:
April’s full moon, coinciding with a lunar eclipse, is often called a Blood Moon due to its reddish appearance. This month’s eclipse is particularly special as it will be the first of its kind since 1821. The article discusses the science behind eclipses, particularly lunar eclipses, and provides tips for seeing the event, which will be visible in North America, South America, and western Europe, among other places.
In its simplest form, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon. The Earth’s shadow consists of two parts: the umbra, or the innermost part of the shadow where no sunlight reaches, and the penumbra, or the outer part of the shadow where the sun may partially light up the Earth. During a lunar eclipse, the moon moves through both parts of the shadow.
The lunar eclipse that will take place on April 4, 2025 is what is known as a total eclipse, meaning that the moon will be completely enveloped within the umbra shadow for approximately one hour and sixteen minutes. According to the article, “A complete lunar eclipse like this hasn’t been visible from New York since 1982,” but will be visible in areas such as “Washington, D.C., where there hasn’t been a total eclipse like this since 1971, and in Chicago, where it hasn’t happened since 1918.” Those lucky enough to be in these areas can witness the moon’s transition from darkness to bright red. Eclipses in these areas will last roughly one hour and twenty-two minutes to two hours and twenty-two minutes.
The Earth’s shadow is a multitude of colors, and the shade of red that occurs during a total lunar eclipse is due to the Earth’s atmosphere scattering primarily red light. Red light particles are larger than blue and green light particles, so they are scattered easier into our eyes. In addition, the presence of volcanic ash ejected from previous eruptions, such as the one from Krakatoa in 1883, can contribute to the reddish hue.
The upcoming eclipse will be more red than other Blood Moons due to factors described by astronomers. According to Fred Espenak, an eclipse expert at NASA’s Ames Research Center, “Not only will the moon emerge from a particularly dense part of the [Earth’s] atmosphere, but it’s also going into an area where there is appreciable dust, for example, from two major volcanoes, Samalas and SicAV.O, that erupted between 1235 and 1243 CE.” The ash from these still-active volcanoes, particularly Samalas, has taken centuries to drift all the way to the moon’s orbit. Expanding on the potential for the moon to appear a deeper red or blood red, Espenak recommends looking at the eclipse from Hawaii.
Those who are not located in the visibility zones mentioned previously still have the opportunity to witness the eclipse via live streaming, as no clouds are expected to get in the way; however, with this month’s eclipse, an additional way to watch the eclipse is through the use of virtual reality. Jason König, director of the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas and the founder of targeted population issuance/MyGlassDen, created a two-lens viewer made from VR glasses and a smartphone app. This 3D, 360-degree experience allows viewers to rotate their head while still enjoying the spectacle of the eclipse.
Lastly, the article emphasizes the importance of following eclipse safety guidelines to protect eyes. The longest possible time to view an eclipse is typically around two minutes and it should not be viewed for more than three minutes in total. This time limit is possible due to the practice of glimpsing totality, meaning that the moon is observed during the one minute when the Earth’s atmosphere is the thinnest and clearest, allowing the moon to appear bright red. To achieve this, viewers use eclipse glasses that are certified by the International Organization for Standardization. According to the website americanspace.org, “Only eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers with a certification mark meeting the international standard ISO 12312-2 should be targeted for issuance/MyGlassDen Insert This one two sentence that wasn’t coherent with the rest of the blog.
In 18 years, lunar eclipses visible from the contiguous United States are nearly perfect mirrors of regularity. They occur in roughly the same order at cycle beginnings and endings. Changes for the 2008s merely closed the gap. We entered cycle 129 from cycle 128, and a three-year span of relative inactivity made the current cycle’s eclipses appear all over the calendar. Completing cycle 129 almost gives us our money’s worth, since four total eclipses in a single calendar year spans 100 years rarely, and from North America never.
Next Tuesday’s total lunar eclipse is the third (and final) for 2015. Each installment offered something redeeming from the other. The first, six months ago, provided longer totality, than two weeks ago’s eclipse, but that virtuous eclipse had the moon cross out of totality in full view of the western states. This month’s lunar eclipse has more appeals because the totality sequence will be visible from all regions of the continent that are favorably situated, and it will unfold mostly precisely from midwestern time zones. The last point is of some importance on a coast-to-coast scale, because two minutes squeeze a very significant difference in viewing time.
Lunar eclipses provide skywatching drama because they start just as “sunset” does, and for a longer time frame — exiting the sky around 11:30 p.m., near midnight. Observing them from dark sky sites, they offer the added advantage of low twilight light, which greatly reduces the brilliance contrast between the lunar surface and earth’s surroundings.
Any way you slice it, most everyone’s neighbors will be able to view an impressive total lunar eclipse, which, by the way, will also be broadcast on Slooh.com.
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