Thursday night’s ‘blood moon’ eclipse over Mexico: How and when to watch it

On Thursday night, Mexico will witness a "blood moon" lunar eclipse as Earth's shadow completely covers the moon, darkening 96.3% of its disk. The eclipse will be visible across much of Mexico, with clear skies being a key factor in viewing. NASA's map shows the timing of the eclipse phases based on moonrise times around the world, which are converted to Mexico City time, currently five hours ahead of UTC.

The partial phase begins at 8:33 p.m., reaches maximum at 10:13 p.m., and ends at 11:52 p.m. The penumbral phase begins at 7:23 p.m. and lasts until after midnight. The red, coppery appearance is due to Earth's atmosphere bending and filtering sunlight, with blue wavelengths scattering more readily than red and orange tones. While notable, this eclipse is not exceptionally rare, occurring every two-and-a-half to three years worldwide.

In recent years, Mexico has experienced total lunar eclipses in 2019, 2025, and 2026. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope can enhance the view of Earth's shadow on lunar features. Mexico City residents can attend a free pre-eclipse program at PILARES community centers, which offers guidance for those with telescopes.