‘Blood Moon’: total lunar eclipse visible from anywhere in Canada this week

A lunar eclipse is framed in a church's steeple cross just west of Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2008. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Another eclipse is coming to skies across North America, but this time no special glasses are required to view it.

A total lunar eclipse – also known as a “Blood Moon” – will cast a red hue over Canada late Thursday night and into the early Friday morning hours, for the first time since 2022.

The phenomenon occurs when the Earth is in between the moon and the sun and the moon passes through the shadow cast by the Earth, according to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Why is it called a ‘Blood Moon’?

“It’s all about the colours,” says Sara Mazrouei, educational developer and planetary scientist at Humber Polytechnic.

“[The moon] will appear as a reddish, orange colour and the reason is that during a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, which is called the umbra. It creates the effect of that reddish, orange colour.”

“It is because of the Earth’s atmosphere,” adds Rachel Ward-Maxwell, staff astronomer with the Ontario Science Centre.

“For the same reason that sunsets are red, as the sunlight passes through our atmosphere, the bluer, shorter wavelengths of light scatter away, and only the red, longer wavelengths of light reach the moon, casting it in this beautiful glow.”

Both Mazrouei and Ward-Maxwell both say because of the way light refracts off the moon, it makes every total lunar eclipse a “Blood Moon.”

‘Medium-rare’ space event

Canadians may remember last April’s solar eclipse being referred to as a once-in-a-lifetime event (another one isn’t scheduled to pass through that same area again until 2144), however, total lunar eclipses don’t hold the same unique label.

“A total lunar eclipse is not nearly as rare as a total solar eclipse,” says Ward-Maxwell.

“For solar eclipses, the shadow of the moon tends to fall over a very small part of the Earth. So, you kind of have to go somewhere to see it, but for a total lunar eclipse, anywhere that it’s nighttime, you’re going to get to see it. The entire hemisphere will be getting to see the same show.”

How to view a total lunar eclipse

Contrary to solar eclipses, it is safe to observe a lunar eclipse with the naked eye and no special eye protection is necessary, says the CSA.

“You don’t need a telescope. You don’t need any pair of binoculars or anything. You can just go into your own backyard, your balcony, a park, wherever you can safely observe outside and look up at the night sky,” adds Ward-Maxwell.

For an extra clear view, it’s recommended to head to any “dark sky” location across Canada.

“Basically, head somewhere with no light,” suggests Mazrouei.

“You just want the sky to be as dark as possible. But I don’t like to make it complicated. The beauty of the lunar eclipse is that you can just step outside of your home and be able to see it.”

Both Mazrouei and Ward-Maxwell agree the only thing that could really affect the view of a total lunar eclipse is clouds. Environment Canada is currently calling for clear skies overnight Thursday in Toronto.

Times for totality across Canada

So, if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse, you won’t have to plan to travel somewhere.

But, seeing this week’s eclipse anywhere in Canada will require staying up late or setting a very early alarm.

According to NASA, the entirety of the lunar eclipse cycle will take about six hours with totality lasting for just over an hour and peak strength estimated right in the middle of that hour.

• Pacific time: 11:26 p.m. to 12:01 a.m. from March 13 to 14
• Mountain time: 12:26 to 1:01 a.m. on March 14
• Central time: 1:26 to 2:01 a.m. on March 14
• Eastern time: 2:26 to 3:01 a.m. on March 14
• Atlantic time: 3:26 to 4:01 a.m. on March 14
• Newfoundland time: 3:56 to 4:31 a.m. on March 14

If you miss this year’s total lunar eclipse, the next one arrives on March 2, 2026.