What time is the Blood Moon in Edmonton?

Edmonton, Get Ready to Howl at the Blood Moon!

Hey Edmonton! Guess what? We’re in for a treat. Get ready to cast your gaze skyward because a total lunar eclipse – you know, the kind that turns the moon a crazy, beautiful red – is heading our way. It’s like nature’s putting on a light show just for us! This happens when the Earth plays shadow puppet, sliding right between the sun and our lunar pal. And that’s when the magic happens.

So, why the “Blood Moon” nickname? Well, as the moon dips into Earth’s shadow, it doesn’t just go dark. Instead, it glows with this eerie, reddish hue. Think rusty iron, or maybe the color of a really good sunset. That’s sunlight bending around our atmosphere and painting the moon in shades of red. Pretty cool, huh?

Mark Your Calendars: Here’s the Play-by-Play

You’ll want to set your alarm (or stay up late!) for Thursday, March 13th, rolling into the wee hours of Friday, March 14th, 2025. That’s when the eclipse will be doing its thing over Edmonton. Here’s the breakdown in Mountain Daylight Time (MDT):

• First Contact (Penumbral Eclipse Begins): 9:57 p.m. MDT (March 13). This is subtle, like the opening act.
• Things Get Interesting (Partial Eclipse Begins): 11:09 p.m. MDT (March 13). Now, you’ll start to see a chunk of the moon disappearing.
• The Main Event (Total Eclipse Begins): 12:26 a.m. MDT (March 14). Boom! Red moon rising.
• Peak Redness (Mid-Eclipse): 12:58 a.m. MDT (March 14). The absolute deepest, richest color.
• Curtain Call (Total Eclipse Ends): 1:31 a.m. MDT (March 14). The red starts to fade.
• Back to Normal-ish (Partial Eclipse Ends): 2:47 a.m. MDT (March 14). The shadow retreats.
• Finito (Penumbral Eclipse Ends): 4:00 a.m. MDT (March 14). All done!

That sweet spot of total eclipse, when the moon’s rocking the full-on crimson look, lasts for about an hour and change. Worth staying up for, trust me.

Where to Watch and What to Bring

The best part? You don’t need any fancy gear to enjoy a lunar eclipse. Just your eyes! Unlike staring at the sun, this is totally safe. But, if you’ve got binoculars or a telescope, definitely bring them along. You’ll catch even more details on the moon’s surface – craters, mountains, the whole shebang.

If you’re looking for some company, the Telus World of Science Edmonton and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Edmonton Centre) are throwing a viewing party at Coronation Park from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., weather gods willing. They’ll have telescopes and experts on hand to geek out with.

Pro tip: It’s gonna be chilly! Bundle up like you’re heading to a hockey game. And maybe bring a thermos of something warm. Hot chocolate under a Blood Moon? Yes, please!

Don’t Miss This One!

Okay, real talk: total lunar eclipses aren’t super rare, but they’re not exactly everyday occurrences either. The next one we’ll be able to see from Alberta is on March 2, 2026. So, if you snooze, you lose! Let’s all cross our fingers for clear skies and get ready to witness the Blood Moon’s awesomeness over Edmonton. You won’t regret it!