The Elusive Blood Moon

Those of us who set our clocks to wake up early this morning were witness to a sight we will not see again in the United States until December 31, 2028.

The "Blood Moon" is a total Lunar Eclipse which occurs when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the satellite’s surface and causing it to appear crimson, according to NASA.

This eclipse is the last of three consecutive total lunar eclipses, said Dr C Alex Young, associate director for science communication in the heliophysics science division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The first of these total lunar eclipses occurred in March, 2025 and the second took place last September.

It was certainly one to behold for essentially one-third of the Earth's population, as it was seen in North and South America, the Pacific Islsnds, Australia and a large swath of Asia. 

Even when it is not a blood moon, the March full moon goes by many names, which can reflect seasonal changes or animals, according to the Farmers Almanac. Some of these are the "worm moon" and the "snow crust  moon".

This year, sky-gazers will get to see two full moons in May, making thirteen full moons for the year. Because a full moon happens every 29.5 days and most months are longer than that, sometimes two full moons occur in one month, creating the "blue moon" phenomenon roughly every two and one-half years. But it does not actually turn blue.

So make your plans now for New Year's Eve in 2028 and get ready to celebrate the next time you will see the next  beautiful blood moon.