Blood Moon 2024: Stunning Photos of March 3’s Total Lunar Eclipse

The full moon, as it set over North America in the early hours of March 3rd, offered a striking spectacle for skywatchers: a total lunar eclipse, often called a “blood moon.” This event marked the last total lunar eclipse visible to those in the United States until 2029, captivating observers across North America, Asia, and Australia. For those who missed the early morning view, recordings of the eclipse are available online, and stunning images have begun to emerge from around the globe.

Photographer Frederic J. Brown in Los Angeles, California captured the blood moon in partial shadow toward the tail end of the eclipse, which lasted roughly an hour. (Image credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

The eclipse lasted approximately 5 hours and 39 minutes in total. The “totality” phase – when the moon was fully immersed in Earth’s umbral shadow – lasted about an hour. Viewers along the East Coast had a limited window, from roughly 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. EST, as the moon set. Those in Central and Pacific time zones had a better opportunity to witness the moon turn red in the early morning hours, weather permitting.

Why the Moon Turns Red

Lunar eclipses, and the resulting “blood moon” effect, occur when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. This is distinct from a solar eclipse, where the moon passes between the sun and Earth. The reddish hue is a result of a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. As sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, shorter wavelengths of light (blues and violets) are scattered away, even as longer wavelengths (reds and oranges) are bent towards the moon. This is the same effect that causes sunsets and sunrises to appear red. Learn more about the science behind the red color from Live Science.

The eclipse over Mexico City — The ‘blood moon’ shines behind the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City on March 3. (Image credit: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

An estimated 3 billion people worldwide were able to view at least a portion of the eclipse, with particularly good views reported in Australia, New Zealand, and eastern Asia. The event coincided with the Chinese Lantern Festival, the final day of the 15-day Lunar New Year celebrations.

The 'blood moon' rises over the skyline of Manila, China. — The ‘blood moon’ appears in a partial phase above Sanya in China’s Hainan Province, as photographed by photographer Cheng Xin. (Image credit: Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

Eclipses: A Paired Phenomenon

Lunar and solar eclipses always occur in pairs. This year, a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse was visible over Antarctica just two weeks prior, on February 17th. See images of the annular eclipse from the Concordia research station. These events occur because the sun, Earth, and moon must be aligned for an eclipse to accept place.

The next total lunar eclipse visible from North America isn’t expected until June 26, 2029. Until then, skywatchers will have to look forward to other celestial events, and perhaps revisit the stunning images captured during this recent “blood moon.”