A total lunar eclipse, also known as a “blood moon” due to the reddish hue the Moon takes on during totality, will occur on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 12:04 Italian time. This will be the last total lunar eclipse visible for the next two years, with the subsequent event not occurring until December 31, 2028, dubbed the “Novel Year’s Blood Moon.”
The eclipse will be fully visible from Asia, Australia, and North America. Observers in Europe will be limited to viewing the event through live streams, such as the one offered by The Virtual Telescope Project.
The eclipse will begin at 9:44 Italian time as the Moon enters the Earth’s penumbra, causing a gradual dimming of the lunar disk from its left side for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. The partial eclipse phase will start around 10:50 Italian time, with the Moon entering the Earth’s umbra and progressively darkening. Totality will begin at 12:04 Italian time, transforming the Moon into a reddish color caused by the refraction of sunlight through the Earth’s atmosphere.
The peak of totality will occur at 12:33 Italian time, coinciding with a 100% full moon. Approximately half an hour later, the Moon will begin to emerge from the Earth’s umbral cone, and then from the penumbra at 14:17 Italian time. The event will conclude at 15:23 Italian time.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, with the Earth positioned between the other two, casting its shadow on the lunar surface. As the Moon passes through the Earth’s umbra, it doesn’t disappear but instead takes on a reddish glow. This coloration is due to sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering blue light and refracting red light onto the Moon, even when it’s fully immersed in the Earth’s shadow.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are visible from the entire nighttime half of Earth and can be observed with the naked eye without any protective measures. The Virtual Telescope Project will begin its live stream of the eclipse at 9:30 Italian time, available on YouTube.
