First Total Lunar Eclipse Since 2022 Is Tonight: How To Watch In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — Before Massachusetts residents load up on coffee or set the alarm clock to be awake very early Friday morning for the full "Blood (or Worm) Moon" total lunar eclipse, it might be worth checking the weather forecast to make sure skies will be clear enough to make the effort.

The forecast for late Thursday night into early Friday looks a bit dicey — as of Thursday morning — with plenty of clouds in the skies across Massachusetts and the best chance of seeing the eclipse coming in northern and western Massachusetts.

After a mostly cloudy day on Thursday, there will be partial clearing overnight, according to the National Weather Service. The question is whether that clearing will take place in time to see the eclipse. Clouds will clear from west to east, making coastal locations most likely to get blocked out, though meteorologists said that even with the cloud cover at least the "red hue" of the moon should be visible in the sky.

According to the website TimeandDate.com, the eclipse will begin at 11:57 p.m. in Boston and reach a maximum at 2:58 a.m. It will conclude at 6 a.m.

The time of "total eclipse" begins at 2:26 a.m. and concludes at 3:31 a.m.

Here's what to expect:

Penumbral phase: The moon enters Earth's fuzzy outer shadow and loses brightness beginning at 11:57 p.m.

Partial phase: The moon begins to enter Earth's darker umbral shadow at 1:09 a.m. and begins to turn red.

Totality: The entire moon is within Earth’s shadow from 2:26 a.m. to 3:31 a.m.

Partial phase: The spectacle reverses with another partial phase from 3:31 a.m. to 4:47 a.m. before the eclipse fully ends at 6 a.m.

For the best views of the total lunar eclipse, get as far away from urban light pollution as possible.

The entire eclipse is visible with the naked eye, but backyard telescopes and binoculars help skywatchers see the movement of Earth's shadow across the surface of the moon. Unlike a solar eclipse, those viewing it do not need eye protection.

This will be the last lunar eclipse visible across North America in 2025, with the next one in September only visible in the westernmost points of the continent. The next partial lunar eclipse visible in New England is March 2-3 in 2026.

This week's event will be the best total lunar eclipse visible in the U.S. until March 2029.

When the weather clears on Friday, temperatures are forecast to go back up after a brief retreat into highs in the 40s on Wednesday and Thursday.

A high temperature of 50 degrees is forecast for Friday, with highs near 60 on Saturday and into the upper 60s on Sunday before rain approaches late in the day and overnight into St. Patrick's Day.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)