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On March 3, 2026, the total lunar eclipse will provide an impressive view of the Blood Moon, the first total eclipse of the year and the last one until the end of 2028, and will be seen by audiences in North America, East Asia, Australia, and some of Europe.
The totality lasts 58 minutes when the Moon completely undergoes the umbra of the Earth in the reddish color of atmospheric sunlight filtration. This total phase can be observed in one way or the other by an estimated 3.3 billion people in the world.
The total lunar eclipse happens when the earth directly lies between the Sun and Moon, casting its shadow over the lunar surface to form the characteristic blood-red color, which is the result of filtered red light. This event is of umbral magnitude of 1.150 (with a total of 100 per cent of the Moon in the main totality). The duration of the complete eclipse is 5 hours and 39 minutes.
What is the Timeline for Blood Moon?
In UTC, the sequence is penumbral contact at 08:44 on March 3, partial at 09:50, totality between 11:04 and 12:03 (maximum 11:34), partial at 13:17 and penumbral close at 14:23.
The totality time in the case of the US East Coast is between 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST, and the Moon sets in the middle of the horizon. The phase of partial periods in total are 2 hours 29 minutes and penumbral ones 2 hours 12 minutes.
Global Visibility
The Pacific region is also the prime viewing area with a high Moon (up to North America, preferably the West Coast), East Asia such as Tokyo (8:04-9:02 p.m. JST), Sydney (10:04-11:02 p.m. AEDT) and the western Europe fringes.
The westward movement of the shadow of NASA is traced by visualization throughout Asia-Pacific to the Americas. About 41 percent of the Earth's population experiences totality at least once but only 2 percent of the population witnesses the entire sequence.
| Region | Totality Timing (Local) | Notes |
| US Pacific | 3:04-4:02 a.m. PST | Optimal high horizon view |
| Sydney, AUS | 10:04-11:02 p.m. AEDT | Evening sky highlight |
| Beijing, China | 7:04-8:02 p.m. CST | Clear nighttime display |
| New York, US | 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST | Partial obscured by moonset |
Viewing from India
In India, where Mumbai is located, the Moon will be seen with a late partial eclipse, 18:22-18:47 IST, on March 3 with faint penumbral effects until approximately 21:23 IST, after totality.
The phenomenon manifests itself as a faintly dimmed Moon in the eastern horizon that is quite safe viewable with naked eyes without equipment. This limited span is maximized with clear skies and uninterrupted views of the east in Maharashtra and further.
Why a Blood Moon?
The rays of sunlight that reach the face of the Earth are scattered back by the atmosphere, and the longer red rays reach the Moon in the eclipse and turn it the color of a sunset.
There is no eye protection necessary as in solar eclipses, and the binoculars or telescopes merely provide clarity of more details of craters and color gradation. This renders it a perfect family outing, with no chances of viewing.
Combined with the annular solar eclipse in February 2026, also in the same saros cycle, the lunar spectacle highlights active alignments of the heavens on the descending node of the Moon. The next total lunar eclipse comes on the New Year Eve 2028-2029.
Check Out - List of Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2026, Check Dates and Times!
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