blood moon
noun
variants
or Blood Moon
plural blood moons or Blood Moons
: a full moon that coincides with a full lunar eclipse and that has an unusually reddish appearance
Note: The red color of a blood moon is caused by the diffusion of the sun's light into the shadow cast by the Earth.
And when it [the full moon] is eclipsed by the shadow of the Earth, it is called a blood moon as it turns a crimson color.—
IFLSCIENCE.com (London)
IFLSCIENCE.com (London)Through the little windows over the deep double kitchen sink, I saw a big sliver of blood moon sinking below the distant mountains.—David Erik Nelson
David Erik Nelson
also
: a full lunar eclipse during which a blood moon occurs
A blood moon is the unscientific name for a total lunar eclipse, which is when Earth passes in between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow over the moon as sunlight is blocked. —BreakingNews.ie
BreakingNews.ie Examples of blood moon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The holiday synonymous with luck takes place on March 17, just a few days after the powerful blood moon on March 15.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
This eclipse, also called a blood moon, occurs when the entire moon passes into the Earth’s umbral shadow, the National Weather Service said.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
The term blood moon also refers to one of the full moons occurring near the beginning of fall, according to NASA.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
Both will hang above the western horizon in the lead-up to the blood moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 4 Mar. 2025
The total lunar eclipse that unveiled a reddish blood moon overnight to nearly half of Earth looked a bit different from the vantage of our celestial neighbor.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
That was enough time, however, for countless professional and amateur photographers to capture dramatic pictures of the blood moon—images that are circulating around the world today.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
When is next total lunar eclipse visible in North America?
If rain clouds cover this year’s blood moon, Californians will have to wait about a year to get a second chance at glimpsing an eclipse.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025
The blood moon can be seen in the sky over Hamburg, Germany in June 2023.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
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Skyler Caruso, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
This eclipse, also called a blood moon, occurs when the entire moon passes into the Earth’s umbral shadow, the National Weather Service said.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
The term blood moon also refers to one of the full moons occurring near the beginning of fall, according to NASA.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
Both will hang above the western horizon in the lead-up to the blood moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 4 Mar. 2025
The total lunar eclipse that unveiled a reddish blood moon overnight to nearly half of Earth looked a bit different from the vantage of our celestial neighbor.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
That was enough time, however, for countless professional and amateur photographers to capture dramatic pictures of the blood moon—images that are circulating around the world today.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
When is next total lunar eclipse visible in North America?
If rain clouds cover this year’s blood moon, Californians will have to wait about a year to get a second chance at glimpsing an eclipse.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025
The blood moon can be seen in the sky over Hamburg, Germany in June 2023.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blood moon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blood%20moon. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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