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.

As the countdown to the year's first total lunar eclipse begins, here's what to know about the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse.