Have you ever seen a red moon? A red moon is called a "blood moon." A blood moon is a name for a moon that looks red during a total lunar eclipse.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and the moon are in a line. Earth is between the sun and the moon. Then Earth's shadow falls on the moon, and the moon becomes dark.

Why does the moon look red?

When there is a total lunar eclipse, the moon does not just disappear. Some sunlight can still reach the moon. This light must pass through Earth's air first.

Earth's air is special. It sends blue light across many directions. But it lets red light pass more easily. Because Earth's air lets red light pass, the red light can reach the moon. So the moon looks red or deep orange. It does not look bright. It looks dark red.

NASA explains this in a fun way. NASA says the moon looks like all the sunrises and sunsets around Earth appear on the moon at the same time.

Does the color change every time?

Yes! The color can change. Sometimes the moon looks a very dark red. Sometimes it looks a brighter red or orange. The color depends on Earth's air. If there are many clouds or a large amount of dust in the air, the color is different each time.

When and where could people watch it?

On March 3, 2026, there was a total lunar eclipse. People across a wide area could watch it. People in Asia, Australia, the Pacific area, and North and South America could see it.

Do you need special tools?

You can see a lunar eclipse without special tools. You can watch it with just your eyes. But if you have binoculars, you can see the color change more clearly. It is more fun with binoculars!