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.

In the Americas alone more than one billion people in 35 countries could bear witness to the total lunar eclipse.

Late on Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday, the full moon turned a beautiful reddish color as it drifted through Earth’s shadow in a total lunar eclipse.