A total lunar eclipse will be visible across North America before sunrise on Tuesday, March 3, marking the only total lunar eclipse of 2026 and the last one visible globally until December 31, 2028.
The eclipse will begin at 3:44 a.m. ET as the moon enters Earth’s penumbra, the outer part of its shadow, causing a subtle dimming of the lunar surface. The moon will then begin to take on a reddish hue at 4:50 a.m. ET as it moves into the umbra, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow where direct sunlight is blocked. Totality – when the moon is completely within the umbra – will begin at 6:04 a.m. ET, turning the moon a striking shade of red for nearly an hour.
This “blood moon” effect occurs because Earth’s atmosphere filters sunlight, scattering away most of the blue light and allowing longer wavelengths of red and orange to reach the lunar surface. The eclipse will reach its greatest magnitude at 6:31 a.m. ET, with the moon fully immersed in the red glow. The total phase will last 58 minutes with viewers on the East Coast able to see close to 30 minutes of totality.
Visibility will vary across North America. Residents of the Pacific Time zone, Alaska, and western Canada will have the best view, witnessing the entire eclipse from start to finish. Those further east will see portions of the eclipse, with the penumbral phases becoming less visible the further east one travels. Viewers near the western end of the Eastern Time Zone will experience a similar level of visibility to those in the Central Time Zone.
No special equipment is needed to observe the eclipse; it will be the brightest object in the night sky. Though, observers are advised to prepare for an early wake-up call, as the eclipse unfolds in the pre-dawn hours.
This eclipse is the final in a series of three total lunar eclipses that began in March 2025, with another occurring in September 2025. Following the March 3rd event, the next trio of lunar eclipses will not occur until December 31, 2028, followed by eclipses in June and December 2029.
