There’s Good News: Rare blood moon captivates sky-gazers as viewer photos pour in

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Local sky-gazers in Central Oregon observed the rare total lunar eclipse and blood moon around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Residents and viewers captured photographs of the moon as it transitioned into the reddish-orange hue during the early morning hours.

A total lunar eclipse is turning the moon a deep reddish-orange on Tuesday for sky-gazers across the Americas, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. This celestial event, often called a blood moon, occurs when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon.

According to NASA, the phenomenon happens as Earth casts a shadow on the satellite's surface, causing it to appear crimson. This eclipse marks the final event in a series of three consecutive total lunar eclipses that began in early 2025.

Dr. C. Alex Young serves as the associate director for science communication in the heliophysics science division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Young noted that this event is the last of three consecutive total lunar eclipses. The first of these eclipses occurred in March 2025 and the second took place in September 2025.

Young emphasized the rarity of the timing and encouraged people to view the event while possible. "If you're able to catch the upcoming eclipse, you should make an effort to do so," Young said, adding that "the next total lunar eclipse won't occur until Dec. 31, 2028."

The next total lunar eclipse will not occur until Dec. 31, 2028.