The phenomenon will begin on Thursday, March 13 and will be visible in all its splendor from the American continent. In Europe and Asia, the phenomenon will be partial
A lunar eclipse will turn the moon red from Thursday evening into Friday morning in Earth’s Western Hemisphere. Most of the Americas will see a total eclipse, coinciding with a full moon, but parts of Western Europe and Africa will also see a ” Blood Moon .”
Among European countries, Spain will have the best views, especially in the central-western areas, the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, where the eclipse will reach its maximum splendor on Friday morning.
In Italy, the Moon will enter the Earth’s penumbra at dawn on March 15, reaching the peak of the eclipse at 06:09. However, the visibility of the phenomenon will be partial.
Depending on your geographic location, as long as the sky is clear, it should be visible without any special equipment and, unlike solar eclipses, without the need for eye protection. But experts warn that the best viewing of this eclipse will be on the American continent.
The “Blood Moon” of March
The optical effect of the full moon in March is known as the “Blood Moon” and occurs when the Moon is covered during a total eclipse due to the Earth interposing itself between its satellite and the Sun. The Moon is thus tinged with coppery red due to the solar rays filtering through the Earth’s atmosphere .
The October full moon also takes on the same definition, or “Hunter’s Moon” due to its reddish color.
According to NASA, lunar and solar eclipses occur four to seven times a year. A partial lunar eclipse marked the skies of the Americas, Europe, and Africa last September, while the last total lunar eclipse occurred in 2022.
History of Eclipses
Civilizations have seen and interpreted lunar eclipses for thousands of years . Ancient peoples knew more about celestial bodies than we think, historian Zoe Ortiz told the AP. “They looked up at the night sky and had a much brighter vision than we have today,” Ortiz said.
Among the various ancient testimonies, a civilization of ancient Mesopotamia saw the red Moon as a bad omen for the king, so the throne was temporarily occupied by a surrogate monarch near the eclipse to protect the sovereign from possible misfortunes.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on September 7, 2025, and then will not repeat until March 3, 2026.
This time it’s not about war. The “Blood Moon” visible from the Americas on Thursday night has nothing to do with battles on our planet. A total eclipse will transform the silver disk into copper . The phenomenon, which can only be admired overseas, is expected when it will be 7:59 in Italy on Friday morning.
That will at least be the peak of the eclipse, the moment when the Moon will fall into the center of the Earth’s shadow, but the entire phase of the eclipse will last 65 minutes. During this time, the satellite will change color, first gradually darkening and then returning to its natural silver. The westernmost parts of Africa and Europe will be able to catch a glimpse of the blood moon.
The alignment
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned and our planet shields the satellite from the star’s light. The Earth’s shadow gradually extends across the Moon’s disk, looking like an increasingly larger bite. It was precisely the curve of the shadow that made Aristotle realize that the Earth is round. For the ancient people of Mesopotamia, who were very expert in astronomy, the Blood Moon was a bad omen for the ruler, who was in fact replaced until the phenomenon ended.
The reason for the blood color
During a lunar eclipse, only some of the Sun’s rays pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and reach the satellite. Since the shortest wavelengths (corresponding to red and orange) are those that are refracted best by the atmosphere, the satellite takes on this color, which is why it is called the Blood Moon.
The September appointment
The last total lunar eclipse occurred in 2022. The next one is scheduled for September 7-8 of this year, visible this time also from Europe. To observe one, it is not necessary to protect your eyes, precisely because the Sun’s light is blocked by the Earth.
