Total Lunar Eclipse 2025: Date, Timings, How To Watch And All You Need To Know About 'Blood Moon'

A total lunar eclipse is slated to occur on the night of Mar. 13 or early morning on Mar. 14, depending on the time zones. A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra. When it aligns perfectly covering 100% of the lunar surface, the full "Warm Moon" gradually turns pale before appearing in a reddish-orange colour.

The spectacular event, expected to last nearly 65 minutes, will also feature "Blood Moon" – when the moon is in a total lunar eclipse. People in North and South America will have the best view of the cosmic phenomenon. It will also be visible in some other regions of the Western Hemisphere under clear skies, according to NASA. The upcoming March event is the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022. Only 13% of the global population will be able to witness the eclipse.

"Locate yourself away from bright lights for the best viewing conditions," the space agency suggested in an X post. 

Lunar eclipses are classified as global events that happen to occur at the same time across all countries. This time, the Moon will pass into the Earth's shadow between 3:57 a.m. UTC (9:27 a.m. IST) and 10 a.m. UTC (3:30 p.m. IST) on Friday, March 14. The entire lunar surface will remain reddish from 6:26 a.m. UTC (1:56 a.m. IST) to 7:21 a.m. UTC (12:51 p.m. IST).

Let's take a look at the schedule for North America’s local times:

March 13:

• Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT): 10:26 p.m. to 11:31 p.m.

• Hawaii Standard Time (HST): 8:26 p.m. to 9:31 p.m.

• Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): 11:26 p.m. (Mar. 13) to 12:31 a.m. (Marc. 14)

March 14:

• Mountain Daylight Time (MDT): 12:26 a.m. to 1:31 a.m.

• Central Daylight Time (CDT): 1:26 a.m. to 2:31 a.m.

• Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): 2:26 a.m. to 3:31 a.m.

The total lunar eclipse can also be witnessed from some parts of Europe– Ireland, Portugal, central Spain, northwestern France and the western regions of the United Kingdom. It will be partially visible from other locations in Western and Central Europe. In these regions, the moon will be totally eclipsed a few minutes before setting in the west on Mar. 14.

Here are the times for the total eclipse in Europe–

• Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 6:26 a.m. (Mar. 14)

• Central European Time (CET): 7:26 a.m. (Mar. 14)

The March 2025 Lunar Eclipse will be visible to the naked eye and no special equipment is required. However, people may use binoculars or a telescope for a better view. 

After the March event, the next total lunar eclipse will occur on Sept. 7-8, 2025 and March 2-3, 2026. There will also be a partial eclipse on August 27-28, 2026, with the Earth covering 93% of the lunar surface.