Observers of the night sky throughout St. Vincent and the Caribbean will be presented with a remarkable spectacle beginning at midnight on Friday the 14th, as the full moon undergoes a transformation into a deep crimson hue during a total lunar eclipse.
On the night of March 13–14, 2025, Vincentians will have the opportunity to observe the total lunar eclipse, commonly referred to as the “blood moon.” The peak of this celestial event, characterised by its most profound red hue, is anticipated to occur around 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) on March 14.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Penumbral eclipse starts: 03:57 GMT (23:57 ET)
Partial eclipse starts: 05:09 GMT (01:09 ET)
Total eclipse starts: 06:26 GMT (02:26 ET)
Maximum eclipse (deepest red colour): 06:58 GMT (02:58 ET)
Total eclipse ends: 07:31 GMT (03:31 ET)
Partial eclipse ends: 08:47 GMT (04:47 ET)
Penumbral eclipse ends: 09:59 GMT (05:59 ET)
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a nearly perfect row, with Earth in the middle, so that the moon passes into our planet’s shadow. This alignment of bodies in space is called syzygy.
When the moon is within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, it takes on a dramatic reddish hue, which has led to the nickname “blood moon” for a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. That shadow isn’t perfect, so faint sunbeams sneak around the shadow’s edges on all sides in the colours of a sunset, bathing the moon in brilliant, warm hues.
Eclipses tend to occur in pairs, so a solar eclipse typically takes place a couple of weeks before or after a total lunar eclipse, according to NASA.
This time, it will be a partial solar eclipse that occurs on March 29.
