A Fast-Moving Planet and a Crimson Moon! Catch Mercury if you can, then stay up late for a total lunar eclipse, and learn the truth about the dark side of the Moon.

The upcoming lunar eclipse will be the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022. Will it be visible in Wisconsin?

This eclipse has earned the nickname “Blood Moon,” a name that might sound ominous compared to the more poetic “Blue Moon” or “Harvest Moon”—but it’s a fitting one.

As a total lunar eclipse approaches this week, there are several spots that Virginians can visit to catch the planetary phenomenon.

In contrast, during a total solar eclipse — which is preceded by a partial eclipse — the moon completely covers the sun, revealing the sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona, during totality. That's the only time it's safe to look at a solar eclipse with the naked eye, since all of the sun's light is blocked.

The moon will appear a striking reddish color in a few weeks when a magnificent total lunar eclipse becomes visible all across the United States.