Skip to content

Today

Showing for a generic location

Blood Moon

A Blood Moon is a Full Moon during a total lunar eclipse, when Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon and casts its shadow across the lunar surface. Instead of going fully dark, the Moon glows a dim red or copper color — Earth's atmosphere bends (refracts) sunlight and scatters shorter blue wavelengths away, letting longer red wavelengths pass through and reach the Moon. The exact shade — anywhere from brick-red to nearly black — depends on how much dust, cloud cover, and pollution is in Earth's atmosphere at the time.

A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes completely through Earth’s shadow and turns a coppery red. Total lunar eclipses occur roughly once or twice a year and are visible from wherever the Moon is above the horizon.