Its primary objective following the March 2 touchdown inside Mare Crisium crater was to deliver 10 NASA instruments designed to gather lunar subsurface data. But the eastern edge of the moon’s near east side also provided a perfect spot for viewing a solar eclipse from the moon’s point of view.

Sometimes sleep takes priority over cool celestial events. Luckily, you can catch a partial solar eclipse this month and a blood moon again in 2026.

Earth’s shadow will block most of the light that illuminates the lunar surface, creating what is known as a blood moon.