During the early hours of Tuesday, March 3, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across the country, and the moon will turn red as it slips into the Earth’s shadow.
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears dark red or orange because Earth blocks most of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon.
“… the light that does reach the lunar surface is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere. It’s as if all of the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” according to the NASA website.
For people who miss the live action, Space.com has free livestreams. People can also follow along with the lunar eclipse live blog on Space.com.
According to NASA, the Moon will be in the constellation Leo at the time of the eclipse, under the lion’s hind paws. As Earth’s shadow dims the lunar surface, constellations could be easier to see.
NASA offers a What’s Up guide with skywatching tips, and the Daily Moon Guide with lunar observing recommendations for each day of the year.
Learn more about lunar and solar elcipses here.
Partiality begins at 4:50 a.m. ET; totality is 6:04 a.m.
Rare Selenelion Event on East Coast
People on the East Coast will briefly be able to catch a selenelion — when the sun rises on one horizon at the same time the totally eclipsed moon sets on the opposite horizon, according to weather.com. To maximize your view, find a high-up location that allows a clear line of sight of both the western and eastern horizons.
This happens because the Earth’s atmosphere refracts light, allowing the eclipsed moon to remain visible just after it has theoretically dipped below the horizon, or just as the sun rises.
This is the first total lunar eclipse of 2026, and the last one visible in the U.S. until late 2028.