A “blood moon” (total lunar eclipse that turns red) happens roughly a few times a year somewhere on Earth, but any one location will only see a total one every couple of years or so.

Quick Scoop: How Often Is a Blood Moon?

  • A blood moon is just a total lunar eclipse where the moon looks red because of Earth’s shadow and our atmosphere filtering sunlight.
  • Lunar eclipses (all types) usually happen about 2–3 times per year globally, sometimes up to 4.
  • Only about one in three lunar eclipses is total, so you get a true “blood moon” roughly every year or so somewhere on the planet, sometimes more often in clusters.
  • From a single city, you can typically see around 4–5 total lunar eclipses in a decade, meaning a visible blood moon for you about once every 2–3 years on average.

Why it feels “rare” (and also constant)

  • Media often brands them as “super blood moon,” “rare blood moon,” or “once in a lifetime” to make them sound dramatic, even though they’re not truly that rare astronomically.
  • Sometimes you get special combinations (like supermoon + blood moon + blue moon) that are much less common, which adds to the hype.

Fun timing notes

  • Total lunar eclipses tend to come in patterns; some decades have several, others fewer, and there are long-term cycles where “tetrads” (four total eclipses in a row) become more or less common.
  • In recent years and through the 2020s–2030s, we’re in a stretch with multiple total eclipses and well‑publicized blood moons, which is why you keep hearing about them.

Simple rule of thumb

If you’re patient and keep an eye on eclipse forecasts, you won’t have to wait long—expect a global blood moon roughly every year or two, and a good one visible from your location every few years.

TL;DR: Blood moons are tied to total lunar eclipses and occur regularly on a global scale (every year or so), but any given place will only see them occasionally, about a handful per decade.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.