Blood Moon on March 3, 2026: See the Only Total Lunar Eclipse This Year
The Blood Moon of March 2026 will be the only total lunar eclipse of the year, giving skywatchers a rare chance to see the Moon turn deep red. The next total lunar eclipse after this won’t happen until 2028, making this event especially worth your attention. In this guide, you’ll find clear visibility maps and exact eclipse timings — plus an easy way to check whether the eclipse will be visible from your exact location using the Sky Tonight app.
Contents
- March 2026 lunar eclipse: quick facts
- Where is the Blood Moon in March 2026? Lunar Eclipse Visibility Map
- What time is the Blood Moon in March 2026? Lunar Eclipse Timeline
- Next lunar eclipse: when to see the red Moon again?
- Total Lunar Eclipse March 2026: Bottom line
March 2026 lunar eclipse: quick facts
- Date: March 2-3, 2026
- Type: total lunar eclipse (“Blood Moon”)
- Magnitude: 1.15¹
- Duration: 5 hours 39 minutes (overall), 58 minutes (totality)
- Red Moon fully visible from: eastern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific region, and western North America
- Partial and/or penumbral eclipse visible from: much of the Americas and Asia
¹The magnitude of a lunar eclipse tells how much of the Moon’s diameter is covered by Earth’s shadow at the maximum of the eclipse. If the magnitude is greater than or equal to 1, the Moon is completely inside the shadow, and the eclipse is total.
Where is the Blood Moon in March 2026? Lunar Eclipse Visibility Map
The total lunar eclipse in March 2026 will be visible across a large part of the world. What exactly can be seen depends on location:
- The entire eclipse will be visible across the easternmost parts of Asia, eastern Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and parts of western North America. In these regions, you’ll see the Moon turn red during totality and then slowly return to its normal color.
- In parts of eastern Asia and western/central Australia, the eclipse starts before moonrise. Observers there will see the Moon rise partially eclipsed, allowing them to watch the red Moon during totality, even though the beginning of the penumbral phase is missed.
- In parts of eastern North America and westernmost South America, the eclipse ends after the moonset. In these regions, the Moon turns red very low above the horizon, and the end of the penumbral phase will not be visible.
- Across parts of western Asia, eastern South America, and nearby regions, you will see only a partial eclipse. Part of the Moon will look dark, as if a curved shadow is moving across it, while the rest stays bright. In some places, the eclipse will appear as only a slight dimming, which can be hard to notice.
If you’re new to lunar eclipses, our complete guide explains how lunar eclipses work, the difference between total and partial eclipses, and why the Moon turns red.
Total lunar eclipse visibility map: USA & Canada
In the United States and Canada, eclipse visibility will vary noticeably from west to east:
- Western North America, including parts of western Canada and the western United States, will see the entire lunar eclipse. In cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver, observers will be able to follow the most dramatic stages of the eclipse, with the Moon appearing red above the horizon.
- Central regions, including Denver, Dallas, Chicago, and Winnipeg, will see the Moon reach the maximum phase of the eclipse. In these locations, the red Moon will also be visible, but the full eclipse will not be seen from start to finish.
- Eastern North America, including New York, Toronto, Washington, and Miami, will see the Moon reach totality very low above the horizon. In these locations, the red Moon may be visible briefly, but the later stages of the eclipse will not be visible as the Moon will set soon after.
Total lunar eclipse visibility map: Australia & New Zealand
The entire lunar eclipse will be visible across most of New Zealand and eastern Australia. Parts of central and western Australia will see totality or its maximum phase, but will miss the earliest stages of the eclipse.
- Eastern Australia and all of New Zealand, including Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Auckland, and Wellington, will see the entire eclipse from start to finish. In these locations, the Moon will be high enough in the sky during totality, clearly turning a deep red as it passes fully through Earth’s shadow.
- Western and central Australia, including Perth and Adelaide, will miss the earliest stages of the eclipse, as they occur before moonrise. Observers there will see the Moon rise already eclipsed, allowing them to observe the highlight of the eclipse — the red Moon shortly after moonrise.
Can I see the red Moon from my location?
The easiest way to find out whether the 2026 lunar eclipse will be visible from your exact location is to use the Sky Tonight app.
- Open the app and type “lunar eclipse” in the search field. Tap the matching result to open the event page for the March 2026 lunar eclipse. Below the image, you’ll see the exact visibility time based on your location — or a message indicating that the event is not visible from your region.
- The same page also includes a detailed visibility map. Swipe the image to the left or tap the blue map icon in the upper-right corner, then zoom in to your location. Tap the “i” icon to see what the map colors mean and which eclipse phases you’ll be able to observe.
- To find out where the Moon will appear in your sky during the eclipse, tap the target icon to center the Moon on the sky map. Then use the compass icon to align the map with the real sky and follow the on-screen arrow until the Moon appears on your screen. This helps you know where to look and plan your viewing in advance.
What time is the Blood Moon in March 2026? Lunar Eclipse Timeline
The lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026, will last 5 hours and 39 minutes, including a 58-minute total phase when the Moon appears red. The table below breaks down the lunar eclipse into its main phases, showing when each stage begins and ends in GMT. These times help you understand when the most noticeable moments of the eclipse will occur.
- 08:44 GMT – Penumbral eclipse begins: The Moon enters Earth’s penumbra; the shading is very subtle and hard to notice.
- 09:50 GMT – Partial eclipse begins: Earth’s dark shadow starts covering the Moon, making it look like a “bite” is taken out of it.
- 11:04 GMT – Totality begins: The Moon is fully inside Earth’s shadow and begins to turn red.
- 11:33 GMT – Maximum eclipse: The most striking phase, when the Moon is as deep as possible in Earth’s shadow.
- 12:02 GMT – Totality ends: The Moon starts leaving the shadow and the red color slowly fades.
- 13:17 GMT – Partial eclipse ends: Earth’s shadow completely leaves the Moon’s disk.
- 14:22 GMT – Penumbral eclipse ends: The Moon exits the penumbra and the eclipse is fully over.
Blood Moon time for the USA & Canada
The total lunar eclipse reaches its most dramatic phase — totality, when the Moon appears red — between 11:04 and 12:02 GMT on March 3. Below are the corresponding local times for totality across U.S. time zones:
- EST (Eastern Time): 06:04–07:02 a.m. (Moon sets during totality)
- CST (Central Time): 05:04–06:02 a.m.
- MST (Mountain Time): 04:04–05:02 a.m.
- PST (Pacific Time): 03:04–04:02 a.m.
- AKST (Alaska Time): 02:04–03:02 a.m.
- HST (Hawaii Time): 01:04–02:02 a.m.
For the best experience, try to start watching at least half an hour earlier, during the partial phase, to see Earth’s shadow slowly move across the Moon.
Blood Moon time for Australia & New Zealand
The most dramatic part of the lunar eclipse — totality, when the Moon turns red — takes place on March 3 between 11:04 and 12:02 GMT. Below are the local times for totality in Australia and New Zealand:
- AWST (Australian Western Standard Time): 7:04–8:02 p.m.
- ACST (Australian Central Standard Time): 8:34–9:32 p.m.
- ACDT (Australian Central Daylight Time): 9:34–10:32 p.m.
- AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time): 9:04–10:02 p.m.
- AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time): 10:04–11:02 p.m.
- NZDT (New Zealand Daylight Time): March 4, 12:04–1:02 a.m.
For the best view, start watching at least half an hour earlier, during the partial phase, as Earth’s shadow slowly moves across the Moon before totality begins.
What time is the Blood Moon in my location?
To find the exact local timing of the March 2026 Blood Moon, use the Eclipse Guide app, designed specifically for tracking lunar and solar eclipses.
- Open the app and tap the menu icon in the upper-right corner to select your location. Once a location is chosen, Eclipse Guide automatically calculates the precise timing and duration of all key eclipse phases — from the subtle penumbral stages to totality and the moment of maximum eclipse — specifically for your location.
This makes it easy to see when each phase begins and ends, without converting time zones or doing any manual calculations.
Next lunar eclipse: when to see the red Moon again?
After the total lunar eclipse in March 2026, the next lunar eclipse will occur on August 28, 2026. However, the Blood Moon will only occur in almost three years.
When is the next lunar eclipse in 2026?
The next lunar eclipse in 2026 will be a partial lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026. This event will be visible from parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, and surrounding regions, with the Moon partly covered by Earth’s shadow. This eclipse takes place during the Full Moon in August 2026, also known as the Sturgeon Moon.
When is the next Blood Moon?
A “Blood Moon” refers to a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon takes on a red hue. After March 2026, such an event won’t happen until December 31, 2028. It will be visible across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and much of Europe.
To keep track of upcoming eclipses, check out our regularly updated infographic of the next 5 eclipses. It shows key timings, visibility maps, and only the essential details in a clear, visual format.
Total Lunar Eclipse March 2026: Bottom line
The March 2026 Blood Moon is the only total lunar eclipse of the year — and the last one until 2028. The red Moon will be visible from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific region, eastern parts of Asia, and western North America, where the Moon enters Earth’s darkest shadow during totality. In other parts of the world, observers will see a partial eclipse, with Earth’s shadow moving across part of the Moon. To check precisely what will be visible from your location, use the Sky Tonight app.
Blood Moon is one of the best sky events of 2026
The 2026 total lunar eclipse is one of the most impressive sky events of the year and part of our list of the 12 best astronomy events of 2026. Read our article to see what else is worth watching in the sky this year.
Are you ready for the lunar eclipse? Test your knowledge
You’ve just learned all about the March 2026 lunar eclipse — now see how much you really know. Take our quiz on lunar and solar eclipses and find out if you’re an eclipse expert!
