On March 2-4, 2026, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Western North America, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia, with a "blood moon" appearing for 58 minutes.
Lunar eclipses happen when Earth is between the sun and a full moon. During the event, the moon moves through Earth's umbra, the dark center of its shadow.
Where will the March 2026 total lunar eclipse be visible?
The best views of the March 2026 total lunar eclipse will be from Western North America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the Pacific. According to Time and Date, only 2% of the world's population — 176 million people — will see all of the phases (penumbral, partial and total) of the eclipse. However, almost 31% — 2.5 billion — will see all of totality, the "blood moon" phase. Viewing conditions will depend on the local weather, with northwest Mexico, the southwest U.S. and inland Australia statistically offering the best odds of clear skies.
What will happen during the total lunar eclipse?
The March 2-4, 2026, event will be the first total lunar eclipse anywhere in the world since Sept. 7-8, 2025, and the last until Dec. 31, 2028 to Jan. 1, 2029, when a total lunar eclipse will occur on New Year's Eve.
During the March 2026 total lunar eclipse, the full "Worm Moon" will rise and, later that night, pass into Earth's umbral shadow. As it does, the full moon will dim and gradually turn reddish-orange, which is why it's called a "blood moon." Totality — when the entire lunar surface appears reddish-orange — will last 58 minutes. However, the entire eclipse — including the penumbral and partial phases — will last 5 hours, 38 minutes.
This total lunar eclipse will occur seven days before the moon reaches apogee — its farthest point from Earth on its slightly elliptical orbit — making it of average apparent size.
Source: www.space.com
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