What time is the lunar eclipse? Will you be able to see the 'blood moon' in DC, Maryland & Virginia?
What time is the lunar eclipse? Will I be able to see it in DMV?
A spectacular Blood Moon lunar eclipse will be visible across North America, including the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas, on March 13 and 14, 2025. But will weather conditions allow us to see it in our area?
WASHINGTON - A spectacular Blood Moon lunar eclipse will be visible across North America, including the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas, on March 13 and 14, 2025. But will weather conditions allow us to see it in the DMV?
What time is the lunar eclipse?
What we know:
The total lunar eclipse will occur on Thursday and Friday, with the maximum eclipse visible in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas early Friday morning.
According to NASA, the Moon will be eclipsed by Earth's shadow on March 14. The eclipse begins at 11:57 p.m. on Thursday and reaches totality at 2:59 a.m. on Friday.
The best time to witness the maximum eclipse in the D.C. region will be between 2:26 a.m. and 3:31 a.m.
READ MORE: When to see March's 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse
Will weather conditions be right for us to see the lunar eclipse in DC, Maryland, and Virginia?
Big picture view:
Most of the U.S. is expected to have clear skies for the total lunar eclipse on Thursday and Friday.
But what about in the DMV? "Will it be visible? I do think there's a good chance that we will see something out there," said FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda. "You don't need special glasses or anything like that and will probably be able to take a picture with your iPhone."
"Hopefully. fingers crossed - because we should be able to see it. We will definitely see it if we can get some clear skies," said Tucker Barnes.
Like Taylor said, no telescopes or special viewing equipment will be needed to witness this celestial event and hopefully, any stubborn cloud cover in some parts of our area will clear out in time.
What can you expect to see during the eclipse in the DMV?
Local perspective:
Just prior to midnight, the Moon will enter Earth's penumbra, the outer part of the shadow, ushering in a partial eclipse about 10 minutes later.
Totality begins just before 2:30 a.m. when the entire Moon is behind Earth's umbra, creating the stunning reddish hue known as a Blood Moon.
Why does the Moon appear red?
According to NASA, the "blood red" appearance of the Moon occurs when it falls entirely within Earth's darkest shadow, known as the umbra.
Sunlight that is not blocked by Earth filters through our atmosphere and reaches the lunar surface, giving the Moon its distinct reddish color.
Lunar Eclipse DC: When to see March's 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse
A spectacular Blood Moon lunar eclipse will be visible across North America, including the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas, on March 13 and 14, 2025. But will weather conditions allow us to see it in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas?
The Source: FOX 5 Weather Team, FOX Weather & NASA