SALT LAKE CITY — On Thursday night and through the early morning hours of Friday, the first lunar eclipse since 2022 took place, one of three total lunar eclipse events lined up for 2025 and 2026.
A winter storm obscured Utahns' view of the event, but photographers around the world turned their lenses to the sky last night.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon passes into Earth's shadow, according to NASA. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra. When the moon is within the umbra, it appears red-orange. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called "blood moons" because of that phenomenon.
Photos
A total lunar eclipse is seen over the Space Needle, Thursday, in Seattle.Lindsey Wasson
A total lunar eclipse entering its mid-partial phase is seen through string lights on trees, Thursday, in Seattle.Lindsey Wasson
Astrophysicists observe a total lunar eclipse from Manuel Foster Astronomical Observatory on San Cristobal hill, in Santiago, Chile, Friday.Esteban Felix
A total lunar eclipse entering its mid-partial phase is seen Thursday, in Seattle.Lindsey Wasson
A total lunar eclipse, known as the blood moon, is visible behind the top of London House hotel early Friday, in Chicago.Kiichiro Sato
A thin layer of clouds cover a total lunar eclipse as it enters its peak stage early Friday, in Arlington, Texas.Julio Cortez
A total lunar eclipse, known as the blood moon, is visible between skyscrapers Friday, in downtown Chicago.Kiichiro Sato
People lay down on the grass outside the planetarium as they watch the total lunar eclipse in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday.Natacha Pisarenko
A total lunar eclipse is visible in its peak stage Friday, in Overland Park, Kan.Charlie Riedel
A total lunar eclipse entering its mid-partial phase is seen through string lights on trees, Thursday, in Seattle.Lindsey Wasson
The blood moon lunar eclipse is seen behind the CN Tower in Toronto on Friday.Frank Gunn
The blood moon lunar eclipse is seen behind a statue on the Princes' Gates in Toronto on Friday.Frank Gunn