Skywatchers across Baltimore are in for a celestial treat Thursday night as a partial lunar eclipse unfolds overhead. The best time to see the eclipse will be around 12:12 a.m. Friday, when roughly 94% of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s shadow, creating an impressive near-total appearance. No special glasses are needed—you can safely watch the eclipse with the naked eye, although binoculars or a telescope can provide an even better view. If you miss this one, Baltimore will have to wait a few years for its next total lunar eclipse, or "Blood Moon," which will be visible on June 26, 2029.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, causing Earth’s shadow to fall across the lunar surface. During a partial lunar eclipse, only a portion of the Moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra. As the shadow moves across the Moon Thursday night, the covered portion may appear significantly darker and could take on shades of red or orange. Those colors occur because some sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the Moon, with our atmosphere filtering out more of the shorter blue wavelengths while allowing more red and orange light to pass through.
