First Lunar Eclipse Of 2025: Blood Moon In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The moon will be encased in Earth's shadow late Thursday night into Friday morning during the first Lunar eclipse of 2025, and Inland Empire residents will have a chance to catch sight of the celestial event — if the inclement weather clears in time.

The effect of the eclipse will be what astronomers commonly refer to as a "blood moon," turning the barren surface into an orange-reddish tint as the lunar rock is completely shrouded in Earth's umbra, or shadow, according to NASA.

"Here in Riverside, the moon will begin passing through Earth's shadow at 10:09 p.m., reaching totality from 11:26 p.m. to 12:31 a.m.," Museum of Riverside Natural History Curator Ian Wright said. "No fancy equipment is needed — your phone can capture it!"

He noted that most mobile phones will automatically attempt to ratchet up illumination when scenery is dark, "which turns the moon into a blurry dot."

"Instead, manually lower the phone's brightness slider to darken the exposure and reveal more detail," Wright said.

Rainstorms are forecast from Tuesday to Friday throughout the region, but a few breaks in the cloud cover are likely Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service. The gaps may provide an opportunity to glimpse the eclipse, depending on where observers may be.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth rotates into a position that aligns with the sun so as to block any light from reaching the moon, according to astronomers. The event begins with the penumbral phase, when only a part of the satellite landscape vanishes in shadow, as though "a bite is being taken out of the Lunar disk," according to NASA. As the orbital alignment reaches its peak, the moon goes deep into the umbra and "appears very dark," the agency said.

From initial penumbral phase to the end of the eclipse, a span of six hours will elapse. However, NASA said "totality" will only last an hour, as Wright pointed out.

The eclipse will be visible throughout North and South America. Another Lunar eclipse is anticipated in early September. A partial solar eclipse will take place on March 29 and will be visible in the Northeastern U.S., eastern Canada, most of Europe and Africa, according to NASA.