Dazzling photos of this month's total lunar eclipse showcase a blood red moon near the Milky Way's heart

Breathtaking photos of the total lunar eclipse from earlier this month capture a glowing, blood red moon and star-studded heart of the Milky Way in the night skies over Chile.

A total lunar eclipse occurred overnight across March 13-14, coinciding with the Full Worm Moon. The maximum phase, or totality, occurred at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) on March 14, causing the moon to appear a deep red color in the night sky.

The "Blood Worm Moon" total lunar eclipse rose over the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), located on the summit of Mt. Cerro Tololo in northern Chile. The National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, or NOIRLab, which oversees the observatory, shared stunning photos of the ground-based telescopes beneath a glowing blood red moon and dazzling view of the Milky Way in a post on X (formally Twitter).

During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow on the moon. This causes the surface of the moon to darken, and sometimes appear reddish when viewed from the night side of Earth, as the planet's atmosphere scatters sunlight. Because of this, a total lunar eclipse is sometimes referred to as a "blood moon.”

The recent lunar eclipse — the first total lunar eclipse since 2022 — was visible across North America and most of South America. Viewers in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile experienced totality as the moon passed entirely within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, so that the sun was completely blocked.

Other areas including Western Europe and parts of West Africa experienced totality at moonset, before the moon disappeared below the horizon. In New Zealand, the eclipse was partially visible as the moon rose on March 14.

The images taken at CTIO offer a breathtaking view of the total lunar eclipse, showcasing the bright red glow of the moon blanketed by Earth’s shadow. Clear night skies also revealed the striking section of the Milky Way that we can see despite living within the galaxy, and twinkling stars above the observatory's ground-based telescopes. Be sure to check out our roundup of the best photos of the "Blood Worm Moon" total lunar eclipse for even more spectacular views.