Total Lunar Eclipse Blood Moon to Turn Coppery Red in Early Hours of March 3
The March 2026 total lunar eclipse blood moon will transform the moon into a coppery red in the early hours of March 3, offering skywatchers across North America a nearly hour-long show that will be visible to billions inside the eclipse path.
Total Lunar Eclipse Blood Moon: timing and visibility
Totality, when the moon is fully immersed in Earth's shadow, will last 58 minutes, from 6: 04 a. m. EST (1104 GMT) to 7: 02 a. m. EST (1202 GMT) on March 3. The long-lasting blood moon will be visible across the night side of Earth, with the best views from the western half of North America, Australia and the Pacific.
Where to look across the continent and beyond
The first lunar eclipse of 2026 will be visible across North America, Australia, New Zealand and eastern Asia. Observers in different places will see different slices of the event; for example, in New York the moon will slip into totality and turn blood red, but the maximum eclipse, when the moon moves deepest into Earth's shadow, will occur after moonset and won't be visible there.
How Minnesotans can watch before it disappears until 2028
Minnesotans are advised to set alarms for 5 a. m. on March 3 to catch the total lunar eclipse: those who wake early will see a yellow sun rising while a red moon sets on a darkened western horizon. Astronomers say the event will last about an hour for viewers in east Asia, Australia, the Pacific and the Americas, and they note that lunar eclipses happen several times a year though fewer produce a total "Blood Moon" appearance.
What you'll see and how to watch safely
A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth sits between the moon and the sun; with the moon inside Earth's shadow, only light filtered through Earth's atmosphere reaches the lunar surface and turns it red. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch with the naked eye. During the event viewers will gradually see the moon shift from a bright silver disk to a deep red as Earth's shadow sweeps across it, and the best viewing requires getting somewhere dark with clear skies.
Context on eclipse cadence and where to check local times
Astronomers predict the next total lunar eclipse will be on New Years Eve 2028, though the next one visible in the Americas won't happen until June 2029. March 2025 was the last total lunar eclipse visible to the Americas, and the previous one before that occurred three years earlier. To find out whether the eclipse will be visible from a specific city, Time and Date offers local visibility details and exact timings by entering your city name.
Local notes and other state-level developments
The Justice Department announced it had ended an investigation into Mary Moriarty’s office over a policy considering race in charging decisions; her office called the investigation a "stunt. " Minnesota’s chief federal judge said he’s found another 113 orders ICE has violated since late last month, a fifth person was injured and was in critical condition, a hospital official said, and Kyeland Jackson is a general assignment reporter for the Star Tribune.
Wherever you plan to watch, the eclipse live blog will carry updates, and skywatchers who can reach a dark, clear site in the western half of North America, Australia or across the Pacific should see the blood moon at its most striking. The next confirmed celestial milestone mentioned by astronomers is the total lunar eclipse on New Years Eve 2028, with the next one visible from the Americas in June 2029.
