What To Know About This Week’s ‘Blood Worm Moon’ Total Lunar Eclipse Over Minnesota

We're in for a celestial treat this week as Minnesota is right in the middle of a swath of the planet that will experience a total lunar eclipse Thursday night and into Friday morning.

The eclipse, when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, will lead to the full moon turning an eerily beautiful reddish-orange color at the event's peak.

If you're hoping to see the lunar eclipse, here is everything you need to know, including are viewing tips, what the cloud cover situation will be like, and when the eclipse will be visible over Minnesota.

Why is it called the 'Blood Worm Moon' Total Lunar Eclipse?

Each full moon throughout the year has a name that comes from some historical legend or lore.

As Space.com explains, the March full moon is known as the Worm Moon. This is because March is when many places in the Northern Hemisphere start seeing the ground thaw and earthworms once again active just in time to feed returning robins.

READ MORE: These Are Scientifically The Best Places In Minnesota For Northern Lights Viewing

The reason for the "blood" part of the name comes from the lunar eclipse that makes the moon turn reddish in color. Add it all together, and you get "Blood Worm Moon".

When will the lunar eclipse be visible in Minnesota?

The whole process of the lunar eclipse takes several hours, but only some of it is noticeable to the naked eye from Earth.

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The earliest stages of the eclipse with a very subtle dimming of the moon will start happening at 10:57 pm on Thursday (Minnesota time). The most noticeable part of the show gets going just after midnight on Friday morning.

Based on info from NASA, here's a rundown of the timeline in local time for Minnesotans looking to watch:

• Partial eclipse: During this time, it'll look like an increasingly large "bite" is being taken out of the moon it heads into Earth's shadow between 12:09 am and 1:26 am Fri. 3/14.
• Total eclipse: This is when the moon is fully in Earth's shadow, and it will appear reddish-orange. This will start at 1:26 am and last until 2:31 am.
• Partial eclipse: The moon starts heading out of Earth's shadow, the red color fades, and that "bite" effect happens on the other side of the moon, getting smaller from the end of the total eclipse at 2:31 am until the partial eclipse ends at 3:37 am.

Will the weather cooperate across Minnesota?

As of right now, it looks like most of Minnesota will see at least some cloud cover during the lunar eclipse. According to National Weather Service forecasts, there aren't any spots in Minnesota that will see perfectly clear sky conditions, but some places will have somewhat better viewing than others.

Cloud cover will increase through the night across the state, with Northeasten Minnesota, in places like Duluth and the Iron Range, expected to see mostly cloudy conditions through the night with the possibility of some breaks in the clouds.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the state could see more openings in the cloud cover to catch a glimpse of the moon.

Not exactly ideal, but still a chance to see the moon during the eclipse.

Any other viewing tips to know about?

The general rule of thumb when looking at anything in the night sky is to get away from bright city lights (and even your yard light) for the best viewing experience.

You'll still be able to see the eclipse even in a city, but the quality of your viewing experience will be better in a darker place.