A rare celestial event will take place this Tuesday morning of March 3, 2026, as the March full moon — widely known as the Worm Moon — coincides with a total lunar eclipse, creating a dramatic “Blood Moon.”
The occurrence will reach its peak at 6:38 AM on Tuesday. During the eclipse, the Moon will gradually darken before taking on a deep reddish hue, a phenomenon that occurs when Earth’s shadow fully covers its surface.
As Earth’s shadow advances across the Moon, sunlight will filter through Earth’s atmosphere and bend toward the lunar surface. This refraction scatters shorter wavelengths of light and allows longer red wavelengths to dominate, giving the Moon its characteristic copper-red color — the reason it is often called a “Blood Moon.”
The moon rises in the sky behind the 5th century B.C. Parthenon temple at the ancient Acropolis hill, in Athens, on Monday, July 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
The total lunar eclipse will be visible across North America. The Moon will enter Earth’s penumbra, the outer part of its shadow, at 3:44 AM. It will move into the darker central shadow, known as the umbra, at 4:50 AM. The eclipse will conclude at approximately 9:23 AM.
The eclipse will be safe to watch with the naked eye, and those under clear skies will be able to follow the entire transformation, from the first subtle shading to the peak of the red glow.
The rare alignment of the Worm Moon and a total lunar eclipse promises a striking and easily accessible skywatching experience for early risers.
