Blood Moon Alert: Near-Total Lunar Eclipse to Turn the Moon Reddish Orange Across the Americas Thursday Night

NEW YORK — Skywatchers across North and South America are in for a treat Thursday night as a near-total lunar eclipse casts Earth's shadow over the moon, turning its surface a deep reddish orange in a spectacle commonly known as a "blood moon."

The event comes just two weeks after a total solar eclipse dazzled viewers across southern Europe, giving stargazers on both sides of the Atlantic back-to-back celestial shows this month.

What's happening in the sky

Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow onto the lunar surface. During Thursday's event, nearly the entire moon — 96.2% at the peak of the eclipse — will be enveloped in that shadow, making it one of the more dramatic near-total eclipses in recent memory.

The reddish-orange hue that gives these events their nickname comes from the way Earth's atmosphere bends and scatters sunlight as it passes around the planet, filtering out shorter wavelengths of light and letting longer, redder wavelengths reach the lunar surface. The result is a moon that appears to glow with a rusty, copper-like tint rather than disappearing into darkness.

Timeline for viewers

According to timing details for the event, the eclipse will unfold in stages Thursday night and into early Friday morning on the East Coast:

The eclipse begins at 9:23 p.m. ET, when the moon first enters the outer, lighter part of Earth's shadow, known as the penumbra. This initial phase is subtle and can be difficult to notice without careful observation.

The more dramatic phase starts at 10:33 p.m. ET, when the moon begins entering the darker, inner shadow, or umbra. At this point, viewers will start to see what looks like a "bite" being taken out of the lunar disk as Earth's shadow creeps across its surface.

The eclipse reaches its peak at 12:12 a.m. ET, when more than 96% of the moon will be shrouded in shadow, producing the fullest reddish-orange effect of the night.

The event wraps up at 3:01 a.m. ET, when the moon fully exits the outer edge of Earth's shadow and returns to its normal appearance.

Where the eclipse will be visible

Weather permitting, observers in the continental United States are positioned for some of the best views of the entire event. The eclipse will also be visible across the rest of North America, throughout South America, and in parts of Europe and Africa.

Most viewers in North and South America — with the exception of those in Alaska and the far northern reaches of Canada — should be able to see every stage of the eclipse from start to finish, assuming clear skies. The experience will be different for those on the other side of the Atlantic: in Europe and Africa, the eclipse will begin in the early hours of Friday local time, and the moon will already be setting as the event is still underway, meaning viewers there may only catch part of the show before it dips below the horizon.

No special equipment required

Unlike solar eclipses, which require certified eclipse glasses or other protective viewing equipment to avoid eye damage, lunar eclipses are entirely safe to watch with the naked eye. There is no risk involved in looking directly at the moon during any phase of the event.

That said, viewers hoping for a more detailed look can enhance the experience with a simple pair of binoculars or a telescope, which can bring out finer texture and color variation on the lunar surface as it moves through Earth's shadow.

Why eclipses come in pairs

Thursday's lunar eclipse isn't a coincidence following this month's solar eclipse — the two types of events are linked by the mechanics of the solar system. Solar and lunar eclipses typically occur in pairs because of the way the moon, Earth and sun align from our vantage point.

The sun happens to be about 400 times farther from Earth than the moon, while also being roughly 400 times larger, a cosmic coincidence that makes the two bodies appear nearly identical in size in Earth's sky. Solar eclipses take place during the new moon phase, when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun and blocks its light. Roughly two weeks later, when the moon has moved to the opposite side of Earth from the sun, a lunar eclipse becomes possible during the full moon phase, as Earth's shadow falls across the lunar surface instead.

This month's total solar eclipse darkened skies over Spain, a small portion of Portugal, Greenland, Iceland and northern Russia earlier in August, setting the stage for Thursday's lunar follow-up.

What comes next

For those who miss Thursday's eclipse or want to start planning ahead, more celestial events are already on the calendar. The next solar eclipse is set for Feb. 6 and will be visible in parts of South America and Africa.

The next lunar eclipse will follow shortly after, occurring overnight from Feb. 20 to 21. That event is expected to have a considerably wider viewing footprint, with visibility stretching across North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica, according to NASA.

Bottom line for stargazers

With clear skies and a bit of patience, Thursday night offers a rare chance to watch nearly the entire moon slip into Earth's shadow and take on its signature blood-red glow — no special glasses, telescopes or travel required, just a clear view of the night sky and a willingness to stay up past midnight for the eclipse's peak just after 12 a.m. ET.