Total lunar eclipse 2025: What to expect on 3/14
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Lunar eclipses can occur around two to five times a year, but not every lunar eclipse is a total eclipse.
This Friday, March 14, will mark the first total lunar eclipse seen in North America since Nov. 8, 2022. On average, total lunar eclipses occur about once every 2 1/2 years and are seen in different regions of the world each time.
In Western New York, you might have to set an alarm to view this one on Friday. A partial eclipse can be seen from 1:09 a.m. to 4:48 a.m. The totality will last for about 66 minutes, from 2:26 a.m. to 3:32 a.m.
A total lunar eclipse can only happen when there is a full moon and Earth is positioned directly between the sun and the moon. During the eclipse, as the moon slips into Earth's shadow, or umbra, the moon starts to darken. When the moon is completely in Earth's umbra, the sun's visible rays are filtered through Earth's upper atmosphere.
Since colors with shorter wavelengths, such as green, blue and purple are scattered, a red/orange color is left to project onto the moon. The hue depends on the content of volcanic aerosols and cloud cover in the atmosphere and can range from dark brown to vivid scarlet.
Don't worry about having special equipment to view it. The colors can easily be seen with the naked eye, but you can get an enhanced viewing experience with a telescope or binoculars. You'll also get a better experience if you're in a dark location, away from light pollution in highly populated areas.
As far as cloud cover, Friday morning is looking to be mostly clear; great viewing conditions.
The next total lunar eclipse that can be seen here will happen in a little less than a year, on March 3, 2026.