The primary lunar eclipse of 2026 will remodel the moon right into a coppery purple “blood moon” within the early hours of March 3 for skywatchers in North America.
The long-lasting and spectacular blood moon on March 3 shall be seen to billions throughout the path of the eclipse, however precisely what you may see relies on the place you might be watching it from.
What is a total lunar eclipe?
A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth sits between the moon and the sun. With the moon sitting in Earth’s shadow, the only light reaching the lunar surface is filtered through Earth’s atmosphere, which turns it red, earning it the name blood moon.
Best places to see the lunar eclipse
Though the blood moon total lunar eclipse will be visible across the night side of Earth on March 3, the best views will be from the western half of North America, Australia and the Pacific.
You’ll have the best view if you’re able to get yourself somewhere dark with clear skies.
Read more: 10 best places to see the ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse on March 3
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).
That translates to the following local times in North America:
- Eastern time: 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST on March 3, 2026 (the moon will set during totality in the Eastern time zone)
- Central time: 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST on March 3, 2026
- Mountain time: 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST on March 3, 2026
- Pacific time: 3:04-4:02 a.m PST on March 3, 2026
- Alaska time: 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST on March 3, 2026
- Hawaii time: 1:04-2:02 a.m. HST on March 3, 2026
To find out whether the eclipse will be visible from your location, visit Time and Date, the place you’ll be able to enter your metropolis to see native visibility particulars and actual timings. In New York, for instance, observers will see the moon slip into totality and switch blood purple however most eclipse, when the moon strikes deepest into Earth’s shadow, will happen after moonset and will not be seen.
What to anticipate
In contrast to photo voltaic eclipses, lunar eclipses are utterly secure to observe with the bare eye. When the eclipse unfolds, you may regularly see the shift from a brilliant silver moon to a deep purple as Earth’s shadow sweeps throughout it. It is like watching all of the phases of the moon at high speed!
