Topline
A “blood moon” total lunar eclipse visible across North America overnight on Thursday, March 13 through March 14, 2025, will see the full moon turn a spectacular reddish color during 65 minutes of totality. With the sun close to “solar maximum” and the celestial geometry caused by next week’s spring equinox favoring geomagnetic storms, there’s also a slim chance that the Northern Lights could be seen during totality.
Key Facts
A total lunar eclipse will occur overnight on March 13-14, with totality — a 65-minute period during which the lunar surface will be entirely reddish — lasting from 2:26 a.m. to 3:32 a.m. EDT. The entire event, which includes less spectacular penumbral and partial phases, will take 366 minutes in total.
The eclipse will be most easily visible from North and South America. Observers in all 50 U.S. states will be able to witness totality, with those in western Alaska and Hawaii missing out only on the initial penumbral phase.
The eclipse coincides with the peak of Solar Cycle 25, with solar storms more frequent and intense. Even a minor G1 or G2 geomagnetic storm could trigger a widespread auroral display seen from mid-latitude regions, making them visible to more northern U.S. states. It could mean green or red aurora is visible during totality, most likely in the northern sky, while the moon will be shining in the south.
The U.S. states most likely to glimpse the aurora — likely only on camera — will be those on the U.S.-Canada border, such as Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center’s predicted aurora viewline.
Although the “blood moon” will be just as easily seen from cities as it will be from areas with minimal light pollution, the latter will get a better view of any aurora displays. Dark sky destinations in Alaska, Canada and northern U.S. states offer the best chance.
Cloud cover can obstruct both the lunar eclipse and auroras, so checking weather forecasts is crucial. If the skies are clear, also check space weather predictions from NOAA.
Total Lunar Eclipse And Aurora: ‘equinox Effect’ And Northern Lights
March is a prime month for aurora activity due to the “equinox effect.” During this time, Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun, creating a unique interaction between solar wind and the planet’s magnetosphere. This alignment weakens Earth’s magnetic field slightly, allowing more charged solar particles to enter and interact with atmospheric gases, producing vibrant auroras. This phenomenon makes March and early April one of the best periods to observe the Northern Lights.
Total Lunar Eclipse And Aurora: Why The Northern Lights Are Often Red
The Northern Lights tend to be green when viewed from the auroral oval that hangs over the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. During strong geomagnetic storms, that auroral oval expands towards lower latitudes. When this happens, the part of the aurora visible from more southerly locations is often the upper part of the auroral curtain, typically at altitudes above 93 miles (150 km). The color in auroras is produced by atomic oxygen releasing energy. In the lower atmosphere, where oxygen atoms are more densely packed, the atoms release their energy more quickly as higher-energy green photons. In the upper atmosphere, where oxygen atoms are fewer, the atoms release their energy more slowly as low-energy red photons.
Background
In recent years, red aurora has become more common compared to previous solar cycles. “The reason for this increase is not fully understood and could be related to changes in the upper ionosphere's composition, possibly linked to climate change or other factors in the space weather environment,” said Tom Kerss, author of Northern Lights: The definitive guide to auroras and Chief Aurora Chaser at Hurtigruten, in an interview.