Exact Time Tuesday’s Total Lunar Eclipse Turns Red

The final “blood moon” complete lunar eclipse, pictured in Shanghai on September 8, 2025. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP by way of Getty Images)

AFP by way of Getty Images

On March 2-3, 2026, the total worm moon will cruise by way of Earth’s shadow and turn out to be a “blood moon” for 58 minutes through the closing complete lunar eclipse wherever on Earth till late 2028. Although that may solely be seen in North America, the Pacific Region, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia, observers worldwide will see the total moon rise close to sundown of their native time on Monday, March 2.

March 2026 delivers a textbook blue-hour full moonrise, adopted hours later by a complete lunar eclipse. At nightfall on Monday, March 2, the practically full worm moon will climb into the evening sky. The full worm moon — the third and closing full moon of winter within the Northern Hemisphere — is called for the thawing floor and the return of earthworms in early spring.

What Is A ‘Blood Moon’ Total Lunar Eclipse?

Hours after moonrise, early on March 3 in North America, the moon will go utterly by way of Earth’s shadow, inflicting a uncommon complete lunar eclipse — also referred to as a “blood moon” as a result of the lunar disk turns a copper-reddish shade. This eclipse can be seen from North America, although western states will get the perfect view.

The following complete lunar eclipse will happen on New Year’s Eve 2028, however the subsequent one seen from North America isn’t till Jun. 26, 2029.

Best Time To See The Full ‘Worm Moon’ Rise

Although the eclipse occurs in a single day, the perfect time to look at the worm moon rise can be Monday, March 2, 2026 — the evening earlier than the eclipse. This is when the moon’s timing aligns greatest with sundown, producing probably the most photogenic and visually spectacular moonrise of the month. Check the moonrise time in your location.

• New York City: sundown at 5:48 p.m. EST, moonrise at 6:13 p.m. EST — a 25-minute hole, inserting the rise squarely in blue hour, the perfect gentle for shade and scale.
• Los Angeles: sundown at 5:49 p.m. PST, moonrise at 6:34 p.m. PST — about 45 minutes after sundown, providing a darker however nonetheless dramatic rise.

On the evening of the total moon itself, the moon rises a lot later, when the sky is already darkish, and the horizon impact is diminished.

A Rare Total ‘Blood Moon’ With Exact U.S. Times

The complete lunar eclipse will unfold within the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 3, 2026, when the moon passes absolutely into Earth’s darkest shadow. Below are the precise occasions of totality — the window when the moon will seem totally copper-red — throughout U.S. time zones:

• Eastern Time: 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST (the moon will set throughout totality from for a lot of japanese areas)
• Central Time: 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST
• Mountain Time: 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST
• Pacific Time: 3:04-4:02 a.m. PST
• Alaska Time: 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST
• Hawaii Standard Time: 1:04-2:02 a.m. HST

These occasions mark probably the most dramatic section of the eclipse, when the moon is totally inside Earth’s umbral shadow and takes on deep purple and copper tones. A visualization of precisely what you’ll see from any location is on the market from The Eclipse App.

Phases Of A Total Lunar Eclipse

A complete lunar eclipse happens when Earth strikes immediately between the solar and a full moon. It has 5 phases, solely the central section — totality — that includes a “blood moon.”

• Penumbral eclipse: because the moon passes by way of Earth’s shadow, it first enters Earth’s faint outer shadow (the penumbra).
• Partial eclipse: it then strikes into the umbra, the darker central shadow. The define of Earth’s shadow will be seen transferring throughout the lunar floor, progressively darkening and reddening it.
• Totality: your complete lunar floor sits throughout the umbra and turns reddish-orange. Only in the intervening time of totality will the moon turn out to be a brighter, reddish shade.

The final two phases are repetitions of the primary two, with a partial eclipse adopted by a penumbral eclipse.

When To See Earth’s Shadow Move Across The Moon

Observers who need to see extra than simply the deep purple “blood moon” also needs to watch the partial lunar eclipse phases, when Earth’s sharply outlined shadow visibly encroaches on the moon’s disk. These phases bracket totality and reveal the curvature of Earth’s shadow in area — a subtler however scientifically rewarding sight. Since the moon can be very low within the sky for a lot of viewers after totality, the partial section earlier than totality is the one to look at.

Across the U.S., the primary partial eclipse begins about 1 hour and quarter-hour earlier than totality (and ends about 1 hour and quarter-hour after totality):

• Eastern Time (EST): roughly 4:49-6:04 a.m. EST (second partial section not seen)
• Central Time (CST): roughly 3:49-5:04 a.m. CST (second partial section not seen)
• Mountain Time (MST): roughly 2:49-4:04 and 5:02-6:17 a.m. MST
• Pacific Time (PST): roughly 1:49-3:04 and 4:02-5:17 a.m. PST
• Alaska Time (AKST): roughly 12:49-2:04 and three:02-4:17 a.m. AKST (March 2–3)
• Hawaii Standard Time (HST): roughly 11:49 p.m.–1:04 a.m. and a couple of:02-3:17 a.m. HST (March 2–3)

During these occasions, the moon will seem progressively darkened on one facet because it enters Earth’s umbra, with the method reversed after totality. Binoculars or a small telescope improve the impact, however it’s simply seen to the bare eye beneath clear skies.

‘Blood Moon’ Times Around The World

Across Australia, New Zealand and East Asia, the eclipse will happen within the night of March 3 (or simply after midnight on March 4 in New Zealand). For many, it would unfold excessive in a darkish sky — supreme viewing situations. Here are the native occasions for totality:

• Auckland, New Zealand (NZDT): 12:04-1:02 a.m., Wednesday, March 4
• Sydney, Australia (AEDT): 10:04-11:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Brisbane, Australia (AEST): 9:04-10:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Adelaide, Australia (ACDT): 9:34-10:32 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Darwin, Australia: 8:34-9:32 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Perth, Australia: 7:04-8:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Tokyo, Japan (JST): 8:04-9:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Seoul, South Korea (KST): 8:04-9:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Beijing, China (CST): 7:04-8:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
• Hong Kong (HKT): 7:04-8:02 p.m., Tuesday, March 3

In components of Southeast Asia, totality will start earlier than moonrise, muting the dramatic shade distinction.

Is It Safe To Watch a ‘Blood Moon’ Total Lunar Eclipse?

It’s utterly protected to look at all phases any lunar eclipse with the bare eye. Unlike a photo voltaic eclipse, which requires licensed eye safety, a lunar eclipse is just mirrored daylight fading and reddening. You can watch it with the bare eye, binoculars or a telescope, with no filters required.

“This reddish light comes from all the sunrises and sunsets around Earth’s rim at that moment — sunlight that has skimmed through Earth’s atmosphere and been refracted, or bent, by the atmosphere into the umbra,” said Meg Thacher, Associate Editor at Sky & Telescope.

Background

The worm moon is considered one of 13 full moons in 2026, a yr that features an additional full moon as a result of the lunar yr is about 11 days shorter than the photo voltaic yr. Of these, three can be supermoons — on Jan. 3, Nov. 24 and Dec. 24 — when the total moon happens near perigee.

2026 will even function two lunar eclipses. The March 2-3 occasion is the one complete lunar eclipse of the yr, whereas the second, on Aug. 27-28, can be a really deep partial lunar eclipse as 96% of the total moon strikes by way of Earth’s umbra. Just two weeks earlier than the worm moon, a “ring of fire” annular photo voltaic eclipse on Feb. 17 marked the beginning of an unusually lively eclipse season.

Wishing you clear skies and extensive eyes.