A total lunar eclipse, or ‘Blood Moon,’ will be visible in the night sky next week in WA

Next week, a total lunar eclipse will be visible in Washington state for the first time since 2022.

Caused by the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth, total lunar eclipses make the moon appear red, according to NASA. When the moon passes into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the umbra, it will appear reddish-orange as it reflects distorted light from our atmosphere, giving it the “Blood Moon” nickname.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming phenomena.

2025 total lunar eclipse in WA

Overnight on March 13, the so-called “Blood Moon” will be visible from Washington in totality for over an hour. If you don’t want to stay up late, you’ll be able to see partial views earlier in the night.

Space.com reports the period of totality will be between 11:26 p.m. on March 13 and 12:31 a.m. on March 14 for Pacific Standard Time. The phenomenon will begin just before 9, reaching partial viewing around 10 p.m. The eclipse event will end at 3 a.m.

According to Accuweather, you may still see the phenomenon if conditions are mostly cloudy, since you’ll only need a break in the clouds at some point during the hours-long event.

Unlike solar eclipses, no special equipment or eyewear is needed when viewing a total lunar eclipse. All you have to do to see the Blood Moon is step outside. Dark environments away from light pollution offer the best viewing conditions, according to NASA. You can try using a light pollution map online to find optimal places for viewing.

When is the next lunar eclipse?

The upcoming total lunar eclipse is the first of two for 2025, but the next will not be visible in the United States. The longest total lunar eclipse since 2022, the September total lunar eclipse will be visible in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia.

There are also two partial solar eclipses this year, neither of which will be visible from the U.S. One is at the end of the month.