When to see total lunar eclipse in North Texas

This year's only total lunar eclipse happens Friday morning and will be visible across North Texas. We are expecting mostly clear to partly cloudy conditions.

March’s full moon will be the final full moon of the winter. This moon is called the Worm Moon because it arrives at the end of the winter equinox. It symbolizes the end of the harsh winter and the beginning of spring. Also, it refers to the number of worms seen this time of year, leaving trails in the thawed frost.

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This year, however, it takes place shortly after a rare celestial event not seen for almost three years - a total lunar eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is perfectly aligned between the sun and the full moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves directly into the Earth's shadow, turning a reddish color.

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WHY DOES THE MOON TURN RED?

As the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, the moon's illumination is cut off. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere filters out shorter-wavelength blue light, leaving reds and oranges over the Moon's surface.

FILE - The moon is shown during a full lunar eclipse, near Moscow, Idaho, with the reddish color caused by it passing into the shadow of the Earth.

Scattering causes some wavelengths of light to scatter more than others, contributing to the reddish or orange-like appearance. The Earth's atmosphere bends red sunlight into our planet's shadow and scatters out blue light, similar to sunrises and sunsets.