A total lunar eclipse will occur on March 3, 2026, when the Moon passes entirely through Earth’s umbral shadow, reaching greatest eclipse at 11:33 UTC.
Totality will last 58 minutes 19 seconds, from 11:04:26 to 12:02:45 UTC, within a full eclipse sequence spanning 08:44:22–14:22:59 UTC. The event will be fully visible across East Asia, Australia, the Pacific region, and western North America, and it is the only total lunar eclipse of 2026.
The partial phase begins at 09:50 UTC as the Moon enters Earth’s umbra and a curved shadow gradually advances across the lunar surface. As the alignment deepens, the Moon becomes fully immersed in the umbra at 11:04 UTC, marking the start of totality.
The greatest eclipse occurs at 11:33 UTC, when the Moon is closest to the center of Earth’s shadow, before emerging from totality at 12:02 UTC. The partial phase concludes at 13:17 UTC, and the penumbral phase ends at 14:22 UTC.
All phases will be visible across eastern Asia, including China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, as well as eastern Russia, Australia, New Zealand and much of the Pacific island region.
Western North America, including Alaska and the western United States and Canada, will observe the complete sequence where the Moon remains above the horizon.
In parts of Central America and northern South America, the Moon will set during the later stages of the eclipse, while Europe, Africa and much of western Asia will not see the event because the Moon will be below the horizon throughout the eclipse window.
The eclipse belongs to Saros series 133 and is the 27th of 71 eclipses in that cycle. Saros cycles repeat at intervals of approximately 18 years and 11 days, producing eclipses with closely similar geometry.
The gamma value of −0.3765 indicates that the Moon’s path through Earth’s shadow passes slightly south of center. An umbral magnitude of 1.1526 confirms full immersion within the umbra, allowing for a sustained total phase, while the penumbral magnitude is 2.1858.
The alignment occurs at the Moon’s descending node, where the lunar orbit crosses Earth’s orbital plane moving southward.
The March 3, 2026, event is the only total lunar eclipse of this year. The next total lunar eclipse is scheduled for December 31, 2028.
References:
1 Total Lunar Eclipse of 2026 March 03 – EclipseWise/Fred Espenak – Accessed February 25, 2026
2 Total Lunar Eclipse — NASA Science — January 29, 2026