A red Blood Moon to soon appear over SC skies for first time since 2022. Here’s when
South Carolinians who look up at the night sky at the right time next month will be seeing red — literally.
The first Blood Moon lunar eclipse since 2022 is set to appear over South Carolina and the rest of North America in a few weeks, according to space.com. During part of the rare event, the moon will turn a red or orange-like color that will be visible as long as there aren’t too many clouds in the sky.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon,” NASA states about the upcoming phenomenon.
Here’s what to know about the Blood Moon:
When can you see the Blood Moon in SC?
The total lunar eclipse will occur the evening of March 13 into the hours of March 14. The Blood Moon eclipse will last for just over an hour, according to AccuWeather.
For South Carolinians, the event begins when the moon enters Earth’s fuzzy outer shadow and loses brightness from 11:57 p.m. to 1:09 a.m., space.com states. There will then be a partial phase — when the moon begins to turn red — from 1:09 a.m. to 2:26 a.m.
After that point, the entire moon will remain red for 65 minutes, after which the process reverses until it ends at 6 a.m.
NASA suggests looking at the moon with binoculars or a telescope to get an even better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds, NASA states.
How to observe the eclipse
You don’t actually need any special equipment to see the red moon. To get the best views, simply watch in a dark environment away from bright lights.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, at which point it appears red-orange.
Why does the moon turn red during a lunar eclipse?
The moon turns red during a lunar eclipse for the same reason the sky is blue and sunsets turn red, NASA states. Sunlight appears white, but in reality, it contains different colors of light that have different physical properties.
“During a lunar eclipse, the moon appears red or orange because any sunlight that’s not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface,” NASA states.
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "A red Blood Moon to soon appear over SC skies for first time since 2022. Here’s when."
