BATON ROUGE — A total lunar eclipse will be visible across the United States overnight into Friday morning. If you want to catch a glimpse of the rare blood moon, you’ll either need to pull an all-nighter or set an early alarm.
According to NASA, this will be the first total lunar eclipse since 2022. During the hour-long totality, the moon will take on deep shades of rusty red as it moves through Earth’s shadow.
When will the total lunar eclipse be visible in Louisiana?
The eclipse process will begin just before midnight, but the full shadow won’t appear until around 1:26 a.m. CST. That’s when you’ll start to see the moon take on its reddish hue.
The maximum eclipse will occur at 1:58 a.m., with the total eclipse ending around 2:31 a.m.. The totality phase—when Earth’s shadow completely covers the moon—is expected to last approximately 65 minutes, according to NASA.
Overall, the entire eclipse event, including partial phases, will take about three hours and 38 minutes as the Earth moves in front of the moon.
| TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE STAGES | TIME (CST) | WHAT TO EXPECT |
| Deep Penumbral | 11:55 p.m. (Thursday) | The moon will pass very close to, but not fully through, the Earth’s penumbra. |
| 50% Partial | 12:47 a.m. (Friday) | The moon will begin to enter the Earth’s umbra; at this time the Earth’s shadow looks like its taking a bite of the moon. |
| Totality Begins | 1:26 a.m. | The whole moon is now in the Earth’s umbra. The moon will have a coppery red tint. Binoculars or a telescope could give a better view of the “blood moon.” |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1:59 a.m. | At this point, the moon’s shadow (umbra) is closest to the Earth’s center, causing the maximum eclipse magnitude. |
| Totality Ends | 2:31 a.m. | As the moon exits the Earth’s umbra, the red color will fade. It will appear as if a bite is being taken out of the opposite side of the lunar disk from before. |
| 50% Partial | 3:10 a.m. | The Earth’s shadow will look like it took a bite of the moon. |
| Deep Penumbral | 4:05 a.m. | The moon continues to pass through the Earth’s penumbra and any remaining visual effects continue to fade. |
Will clouds block the lunar eclipse?
Cloud cover could impact visibility, but Louisiana has a decent chance of a clear view.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 45-50% chance of cloud cover in the Baton Rouge area during the eclipse. However, meteorologists say even a small break in the clouds will allow for a great view of the total lunar eclipse.
When is the next lunar eclipse?
March’s total lunar eclipse is the first of two in 2025, but it will be the only one visible from North America. The next total lunar eclipse will occur in September 2025, but it will only be visible over Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe and Africa.
For those in the U.S., the next chance to see a total lunar eclipse will be March 3, 2026. After that, the next one visible from the U.S. won’t occur until June 2029.
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