How to see the total lunar eclipse and blood moon

In the early hours of March 14, 2025, a total lunar eclipse will take place. This will be the first time since 2022 that North Carolina will get a chance to experience a total lunar eclipse. If you miss this one you’ll have to wait a year for the next one.

You might have heard it called the Blood Moon. Read on to learn what this means.

A lunar eclipse is when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up in a way that the full moon travels through the Earth’s shadow.

Read on to learn about how and when to view the total lunar eclipse.

What does the lunar eclipse look like?

As the moon passes through the shadow of the earth, it will turn red. As this happens, you’ll see that the earth’s shadow is curved. When the eclipse is total, it will look like a dark red hole in the sky.

Is it hard to see the lunar eclipse?

It’s easy! You don’t need totally clear skies, but if it’s extremely cloudy you might have trouble. Currently the forecast is for some cloudy skies on Thursday night, but hopefully it won’t be too cloudy.

You don’t need telescopes, although it can be fun to get a close-up look through a telescope or binoculars. And you don’t need special viewing glasses, like you would for a solar eclipse, because there’s no danger in looking directly at the moon at any phase.

In North Carolina the moon will be above the horizon during this eclipse, so unless you’re among tall trees (or buildings) you should be able to see it. Just look up!

Why is called the Worm Blood Moon?

Blood moon: Because the moon appears red during a lunar eclipse it’s called a “blood moon.”

Worm moon: March’s full moon is always referred to as the worm moon, because it’s when earthworms appear.

What are the other months’ full moons called?

Each month’s full moon has a nickname. This nickname has nothing to do with the moon’s appearance. It’s about what’s happening here on Earth.

January: Wolf Moon (Because wolves howl a lot during this time. Also called the Cold Moon and Spirit Moon.)
February: Snow Moon (Because it snows a lot in February. Also called the Hunger Moon.)
March: Worm Moon (Because earthworms appear. Also called the Sap Moon.)
April: Pink Moon (Because phlox, one of the first spring flowers, appear. Also called the Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and Fish Moon.)
May: Flower Moon (Because of the abundance of flowers. Also called the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.)
June: Strawberry Moon (Because of strawberries. Also called the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.)
July: Buck Moon (Because bucks’ antlers are in full growth mode. Also called the Thunder Moon.)
August: Sturgeon Moon (Sturgeons are most easily caught this month. Also called the Green Corn Moon.)
September: Corn Moon (Corn harvesting time. Also called the Barley Moon.)
October: Hunter’s Moon (Good time for hunting. Also called the Travel Moon and the Dying Moon.)
November: Beaver Moon (For colonists and indigenous tribes it was time to set beaver traps. Also called the Frost Moon.)
December: Cold Moon (Because it’s cold. Also called the Long Nights Moon.)

 

Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area

Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here: