'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse tonight: When NYC has the best chance to see it
NYC area weather, tips for viewing total lunar eclipse
FOX 5 NY's meteorologist Mike Woods has the full forecast for Thursday and how to see the Total Lunar Eclipse tonight.
NEW YORK - For night owls in New York City, tonight offers the perfect excuse to stay up late. It’s a chance to witness the "Blood Moon" total lunar eclipse!
According to NASA, a total lunar eclipse will take place, giving the moon a reddish glow as it slips into Earth’s shadow.
A lunar eclipse turned the full Flower Moon temporarily turn red overnight on Sunday, May 15, 2022 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
While the event sounds spectacular, sky conditions in the city may not cooperate, so you might need more than just a good view of the skyline to catch the celestial show.
Here's everything to know about the eclipse, including the forecast, when the eclipse begins, and when it reaches totality:
What time will the lunar eclipse happen?
Timeline:
The moon will be eclipsed by Earth's shadow on March 14, according to NASA.
Peak viewing times
The eclipse begins at 11:57 p.m. ET Thursday and reaches totality at 2:59 a.m. ET Friday.
How to see the lunar eclipse in NYC?
According to FOX 5 NY's Meteorologist Mike Woods, "there’s a chance you could see at least a little bit of this blood moon lunar eclipse." While conditions in New York City may be uncertain, he notes, "We need the clouds to stay out of the picture."
"Right now, it looks pretty decent, but the clouds will be coming and going, creating a bit of a battle," he said.
"It will still be pretty cloudy at midnight, but we’ll have to wait and see if we get lucky for the blood moon or eclipse," Woods added.
What is a Blood Worm Moon?
Dig deeper:
March’s full moon, known as the Worm Moon, will reach its peak illumination just before 3 a.m. on Friday, March 14.
You don’t have to stay up all night to see the full moon; it will appear full or nearly full from Wednesday through Saturday.
The full Strawberry Moon rises behind the Empire State Building in New York City on June 21, 2024, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
A total lunar eclipse will also occur on the night of the full moon, and although the moon will be completely in Earth’s shadow, the sun's light will give it a reddish-brown hue. This is why it’s called a "Blood" Worm Moon, rather than just a regular Worm Moon.
If the lunar eclipse wasn’t taking place on the same night as the full moon, it would just be called a Worm Moon, according to NASA.
Why is it called a Worm Moon?
The backstory:
March’s full moon is known as the Worm Moon.
The name is thought to have come from the earthworms that appeared as the soil warmed during spring, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
SkyFOX captured the Beaver Moon shining over New York City on Nov. 15, 2024
Another explanation dates back to the 1760s, when Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Dakota and other Native American tribes. Carver noted that the Worm Moon referred to a type of beetle larvae emerging from thawing tree bark as winter ended.
When is the next total lunar eclipse?
What's next:
The next total lunar eclipse will be on Sept. 7, 2025, according to Time and Date.