During the eclipse, the Earth passed between the sun and moon, blocking light from hitting the lunar surface, making the moon darker than usual. The moon turned a red hue, becoming a “blood moon,” due to the sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching its surface.

Stargazers on nearly one half of the world witnessed a total lunar eclipse overnight, as a rare cosmic lineup caused the moon to turn a shade of red.

The rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse started lighting up the sky late Thursday with a bright full Moon. Why it matters: It's the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022.