The rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse started lighting up the sky late Thursday with a bright full Moon. Why it matters: It's the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022.

March's full "Blood Worm Moon," a phenomenon that makes the moon appear red during a total lunar eclipse, is visible this week for Americans and others in Earth's Western Hemisphere.The full moon reaches peak illumination at 2:55 a.

Earth’s shadow will block most of the light that illuminates the lunar surface, creating what is known as a blood moon.