A very special and extraordinary blood moon will rise tonight amid a total lunar eclipse and a rare moment of totality.
The March worm moon heralds the earthworms that spring to life as winter ends and the soil begins to warm ahead of planting season, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. But there’s more.
On the night of March 13, a total lunar eclipse will occur during the March full moon, giving way to a spectacular view of the blood moon across North America and a grand moment of totality.
This year’s March blood moon during the total lunar eclipse will give way to the Ides of March on the 15th, lead into St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th, followed by the first day of spring on the 20th.
Here’s what, when, where and how to watch the March full moon and total lunar eclipse.
When is full moon in March?
The worm moon will be visible on Thursday evening, March 13 with peak illumination by 2:55 a.m. on Friday, March 14.
Moon phases for March 2025:
- 🌓 First quarter: March 6
- 🌕 Full moon: March 14
- 🌗 Last quarter: March 22
- 🌑 New moon: March 29
What is a total lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that happens when the sun, Earth and moon all align so that the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow, causing the moon to be darkened.
Unlike solar eclipses, totality can last up to nearly two hours and are safe to view without any eye protection.
When is the March 2025 total lunar eclipse?
The total lunar eclipse will occur on March 13-14, 2025. It will be the first on Earth since 2022.
How to watch the total lunar eclipse?
Lunar eclipses happen when Earth is between the sun and a full moon. During the event, the moon moves through Earth’s umbra, the dark center of its shadow, according to Space.com.
Unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to look at the entire lunar eclipse which can last for hours.
The eclipse will last approximately six hours, occurring between 11:57 pm and 6 a.m., with the best view of totality happening between 2:26 a.m. and 3:31 a.m.
For approximately 65 minutes during this total lunar eclipse, there will appear the blood moon.
What is a blood moon?
The blood moon is a trick of the light, when the typical whitish looking moon becomes red or ruddy brown. It happens when the moon is fully in Earth’s shadow and a little bit of light from Earth’s sunrises and sunsets falls on the surface of moon, making it appear red.
Why is it called a worm moon?
The March moon is also called the worm moon, referencing the time and season when the soil begins to warm and the first signs of life return, such as earthworms, beetle larvae and grubs from their winter slumber. These invertebrates are also among the first food sources for birds and other animals coming out of hibernation in the spring.
What is the Ides of March?
The Ides of March is Saturday, March 15, 2025.
The Ides are one of three monthly occurrences, according to the Roman calendar, including the Kalends and the Nones. These days also marked specific moon phases. The Kelands always falls on the first day of the month and represented the new moon. The Nones occurs on the 5th or 7th depending on if it has 30 or 31 days and represented the first quarter moon. The Ides falls on the 13th or 15th and represented the full moon.
The Ides of March represented the beginning of a new year with the appearance of the first full moon of the ‘Roman calendar year’ before January and February were eventually added, according to the Almanac.
But the famous stigma of bad luck and doom behind March 15th lays with the assassination of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Also made famous in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar tragedy, a soothsayer warned Caesar — “Beware the ides of March” — the omen before his misfortune with betrayal and death.
When is the first day of Spring 2025?
The first day of the spring equinox falls on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 5:01 a.m. Eastern.
