First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2025 to Light Up New York Sky

Look up! Don't miss the first total lunar eclipse of the year that can be seen in New York.

Mark your calendar and set the alarm to see the sun, earth, and moon passing in a straight line.

"The orange tint on the moon's surface during totality is refracted sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere, much like we see beautiful red sunset," says Gary Boyle, The Backyard Astronomer.

Uriel Sinai, Getty Images News

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar eclipses occur only when the Moon is in its full phase, according to the Lowell Observatory.

At full Moon, the Sun, Earth and Moon are close to being in a straight line. But, sometimes the alignment is almost perfect and the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. The result of this is a darkening of the Moon, or a lunar eclipse. The deeper into the shadow the Moon moves, the greater the eclipse.

Red Moon

The reddish or brownish-orange tinge of the lunar surface seen during totality is caused by the solar rays refracting through the earth’s atmosphere, much like when we see spectacular red sunsets at night.