A rare lunar eclipse will be visible over Mississippi late Thursday night and early Friday. Plan to stay up, maybe plan your caffeine intake, if you want to see it.

It’s the first in more than two years, and the red tint the moon will take on is sometimes called a “blood moon.”

Will the weather be clear enough? Parts of the state are expected to get some rain Thursday morning. Severe weather, including the potential for tornadoes, is in the outlook for Friday and Saturday.

Here’s what we know about the eclipse, when the best time to watch is and what the National Weather Service says you can expect the skies to look like.

When will I get to see the lunar eclipse?

According to timeanddate.com, there are phases of the eclipse that will be visible from Mississippi. The whole thing will take about six hours, but the time for total eclipse will range from around 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. with a peak around 2.

Times are in Central:

• 10:57 p.m.: Penumbral eclipse – Earth’s penumbra starts touching the moon’s face.
• 12:09 a.m.: Partial eclipse – moon starts getting red.
• 1:26 p.m.: Total eclipse – total eclipse starts, moon is totally red.
• 1:58 a.m.: Maximum eclipse – moon is closest to center of shadow.
• 2:31 a.m.: Total eclipse ends.
• 3:47 a.m.: Partial eclipse ends.
• 5 a.m.: Penumbral eclipse ends.

What will the total lunar eclipse look like?

The moon will be dimmer than normal and have a red-orange tint for a few hours.

The spectacle will be on display while the moon moves through Leo and Virgo.

Do you need special equipment to see the lunar eclipse?

No. Lunar eclipses can be viewed with the naked eye. They don’t require special protective glasses like a solar eclipse.

But binoculars or a telescope might add to the experience.

State parks and national forests to visit for viewing the eclipse in Mississippi

Go Astronomy lists some of the best places for seeing the night sky without light pollution in Mississippi.

Places that have a Bortle dark-sky scale score are provided. The nine-tier system ranks a three as a rural night sky and a one as an excellent dark sky.

• Bienville National Forest: Bortle score – 3.
• Clark Creek Natural Area: Bortle score – 3.
• De Soto National Forest.
• Delta National Forest.
• French Camp.
• Holly Springs National Forest.
• Holmes County State Park: Bortle score – 3.
• Homochitto National Forest: Bortle score – 3.
• Leroy Percy State Park: Bortle score – 3.
• Tishomingo State Park: Bortle score – 3.
• Tombigbee National Forest.

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Highest point in Mississippi

The highest point in Mississippi is Woodall Mountain at 806 feet.

It’s in the northeastern part of the state, just off of Mississippi 25 in Tishomingo County. The land is privately held, and hikers should know the path isn’t always smooth.

What will the weather be like tonight?

According to National Weather Service forecasts, Thursday night will be partially to mostly cloudy across Mississippi before severe storms roll in Friday and Saturday.

Mississippi weather: Tornadoes, severe storms likely later this week. Here’s when and where

When is the next eclipse?

A partial solar eclipse will be on March 29. It will be visible from parts of the U.S., but Mississippi is not one of the states that will see it. (If you get to watch from somewhere it’s visible, be sure to use the proper eye protection.)

Another total lunar eclipse will happen on Sept. 7 but won’t be visible from the Americas.

The next visible eclipses in Mississippi, according to timeanddate.com, will be a total lunar eclipse in March 2026 and a partial lunar eclipse in August 2026.

We won’t see a solar eclipse until January 2028, and it’ll be a partial.

Contributing: Brandi D. Addison and Eric Lagatta

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [email protected].