Total lunar eclipse — March 3, 2026
This one has passed: every phase timed to the minute, the same instant worldwide, converted to your own clock — and whether the moon is up where you are.
Total lunar eclipse
March 3, 2026 · greatest eclipse 11:34 UTC
The moon passes entirely into the Earth's umbra — the dark core of the shadow — and turns a deep copper red.
Timeline
Every one of these instants is the same moment everywhere on Earth — the shadow falls on the moon, not on you. UTC is baked in; your own time zone appears underneath when the page loads.
the moon touches the soft outer shadow — hard to notice at first08:46 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the dark umbra reaches the edge of the disc09:51 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the moon is fully inside the umbra and turns red11:05 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the moon is deepest in the shadow11:34 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the first bright edge returns12:02 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the umbra leaves the disc13:16 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
the moon is clear of the shadow14:22 UTC
Mar 3, 2026
Can you see it?
A lunar eclipse has no narrow path — everyone on the night side of the Earth sees the same thing at the same instant. At greatest eclipse the moon is directly overhead near 6°N, 170°W, so it is best placed over the central Pacific. Further from there, the moon sits lower; on the far side of the world it is below the horizon and the eclipse happens in daylight.
Worked out from the moon's altitude at your coordinates at greatest eclipse. Cloud is not included — nothing on this site knows the weather.
What to expect
Totality lasts 57 min, inside a partial phase of 3 h 25 min. The colour during totality varies from a bright orange to a dark brick red depending on how much dust and cloud is in the Earth's atmosphere at the time — it is not predictable in advance, which is part of the appeal.
No equipment and no eye protection are needed. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is completely safe to watch with bare eyes.
More
Previous: Sep 7, 2025 · Next: Aug 28, 2026 · All lunar eclipses · Moon calendar · Moon phase today
Dates and circumstances are computed with the same method as the moon phases on this site — see how the moon phase is calculated.