Get the coffee machines ready and cue up the Bonnie Tyler song. For the first time in over six years, a total lunar eclipse is expected to be visible in Montgomery County on March 14 with maximum visibility occurring at 2:58 a.m.
Also known as a “blood moon,” total lunar eclipses occur when the Moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, which is called the umbra. According to NASA, some of the sunlight passing through the atmosphere reaches the surface of the Moon, giving it a dark red hue.
The eclipse is expected to begin a few minutes before midnight on March 13, with a maximum obscuration of 100% appearing at 2:58 a.m. on March 14. The event will end around 6 a.m.
Totality, which is the period in which the Moon is expected to be red, is expected to last for three hours and 38 minutes. Full timing details and an eclipse path can be found here.
There's a total lunar eclipse coming up soon… but that's not the only reason to look to the skies this month!
Learn more about the eclipse, which will be visible in the Americas on the night of March 13-14, and other skywatching highlights: https://t.co/BSkoSW5xBm pic.twitter.com/u6e9Fdq4Do
— NASA (@NASA) March 1, 2025
The last total lunar eclipse to occur in Maryland was on Jan. 21, 2019. Additional information on eclipses can be found on the NASA website.
