New Times Predicts Miami Will See the Lunar Eclipse on Thursday Night

You don't have to be an astrophysicist to behold the wonders of the night skies above us. And roughly twice each year, the celestial mechanics of our solar system give rise to a spectacular show, which — provided you're in the right place on Earth at the right time — you can witness.

We're talking about a lunar eclipse.

The next one is fast approaching: It will occur March 13-14. What's more, it's an especially propitious eclipse, in that it's a total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon — the first such event since November 2022. And most of us who reside in the United States — and, for that matter, the Western Hemisphere — will be able to see it for ourselves. Weather permitting, of course.

In Florida, the eclipse will begin shortly before midnight on March 13 and reach totality right around 3 a.m. By 6 a.m., the heavens will have returned to their regularly scheduled programming, as it were. (Sunrise Friday morning will arrive at 7:31.a.m.)   

What Is a Total Lunar Eclipse (And Why Is It Called a "Blood Moon")?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when our Sun, Earth, and Moon are positioned so as to align perfectly — which is to say, for a period of time they form an arrangement in which our planet blocks the sun's rays from illuminating the moon the way it does most nights.

Courtesy of NASA, here's a graphic representation, featuring narrator who talks just a smidge too fast:
As our fast-talking fellow explains, when the Moon moves into the inner part of the Earth’s shadow (the umbra), some sunlight illuminates it after passing through Earth's atmosphere. We see that as a red tinge because the blue and violet wavelengths scatter more readily than red and orange. (We've all seen sunsets.) The more dust in the atmosphere during an eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear.

Generally speaking, space-science folks break down an eclipse into phases: Penumbral (when the Moon enters the outer portion of the Earth's shadow), Partial (when the Moon enters the umbra), and Total (when the umbra completely blocks the Moon from view). After totality, the phases run in reverse, until the Moon is fully out of Earth's shadow.

Below is what that looks like from an Earth resident's point of view — albeit in an isolated telescopic fashion that kinda removes every grain of awe from the equation.

When Will the Lunar Eclipse Begin and End in Miami?

Astronomers like to count the hours in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which removes variables like time zones and Daylight Savings Time from the equation and therefore makes a lot of sense when you're talking about events from an Earth-encompassing point of view but can be confusing for human beings, who tend to be able to be in only one place at a time, and that place is seldom 0 degrees longitude.

So for our purposes, let's go with good ol' Eastern Daylight Time.

Penumbral begins: 11:57 p.m. EDT (March 13)
Partial begins: 1:10 a.m. (March 14)
Total begins: 2:26 a.m.
Maximum: 2:59 a.m.
Total ends: 3:31 a.m.
Partial ends: 4:48 a.m.
Penumbral ends: 6 a.m.

Six Hours!? Who Stays Up All Night to Watch That?!

Good question. And heck, a cursory run-through of the videos embedded above demonstrates that for much of an eclipse, nothing really dramatic happens.

That said, lunar eclipses are supercool because 1) they're visible to the naked eye, and 2) unlike solar eclipses, they pose no hazard to said organ. And no one will mock you if you focus on the best parts.

Locally, the Southern Cross Astronomical Society (SCAS) holds public viewings every Saturday evening from dusk until 10 p.m. — weather permitting, of course — at two locations: the D'Auria Observatory (23325 SW 217th Ave., Homestead) and Sadowski Park & Nature Center (17555 SW 79th Ave., Palmetto Bay). But this lunar event won't even begin to unfold in Miami till midnight.

"As you know, the eclipse will happen on Friday morning around 2:30 a.m.," SCAS' Carlos Garcia tells New Times. "So any event will most likely have very low attendance." That said, Garcia adds that "we may offer an online live viewing of the lunar eclipse that can be seen from a smartphone or laptop computer, and it can also be viewed on YouTube afterwards."

Garcia and other Southern Cross members will be capturing the eclipse as it unfolds. He suggests checking the SCAS Facebook page for photos and videos.

He also turned us on to Stellarium, an open-source app that's great for orienting oneself for stargazing. As the screenshot above indicates, 2 a.m. on Friday would be a good time to step outside and look up for a while.

What's the Current Weather Forecast for Thursday, March 13?

As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service's forecast for Miami calls for a low around 66 and slight chance of showers before 4 a.m., then a slight chance of showers after 5 a.m. Fear not: "Slight chance" means the chance of precipitation is only 20 percent. We'll take that bet. See you outside at 2:30 or so.

Did you photograph the 2025 total lunar eclipse? Share your photos to [email protected].