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.

Unlike the 2024 total solar eclipse event, viewing won't require safety equipment, but it may require you set an alarm to catch it.

New Yorkers will witness a total lunar eclipse, or “blood moon,” on the night of March 13 into early March 14. The event occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, turning a deep red due to the way sunlight filters through the atmosphere.

Most of the United States will be treated to a total lunar eclipse in coming days, with a blood-red moon rising into the night sky.

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.