What time is the blood moon total lunar eclipse on March 3?

graphic showing close up blood red moon during total lunar eclipse. there is a vector graphic of a clock face overlaid on top. — A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red for billions across North America, Australia and East Asia. (Image credit: Canva Pro)

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North America - lunar eclipse timings
Key viewing times worldwide
What will happen?

Editor's note: Totality has come to an end after putting on a spectacular show for billions of stargazers spread across the night side of Earth. Check out our wrap article to see the first gorgeous photos and images of the March 3 blood moon total lunar eclipse!

During the March lunar eclipse, totality — when the moon is fully immersed in Earth's dark umbral shadow and appears blood-red — will begin at 6:04 a.m. EST (1104 GMT) on March 3 and peak at 6:33 a.m. EST (1133 GMT). Totality will last for approximately 58 minutes, after which the moon will begin to exit from Earth's shadow.

Over 40% of the world's population will be able to see at least some of the total phase of the lunar eclipse. That's over three billion people, according to Time and Date. It will be the last total lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth until New Year's Eve 2028-2029.

North America - lunar eclipse timings

Penumbral eclipse begins: 3:44 a.m. EST (08:44 GMT)
Partial eclipse begins: 4:50 a.m. EST (09:50 GMT)
Totality: 6:04–7:02 a.m. EST (11:04–12:02 GMT)
Maximum eclipse: 6:33 a.m. EST (11:33 GMT)
Partial eclipse ends: 8:17 a.m. EST (13:17 GMT)

Key viewing times worldwide

Here are some key viewing times for the March 3 total lunar eclipse across different time zones, according to Time and Date. The timings represent when totality will occur, turning our lunar neighbor into a blood moon:

Eastern time: 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST on March 3, 2026 (the moon will set during totality in the Eastern time zone)
Central time: 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST on March 3, 2026
Mountain time: 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST on March 3, 2026
Pacific time: 3:04-4:02 a.m PST on March 3, 2026
Alaska time: 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST on March 3, 2026
Hawaii time: 1:04-2:02 a.m. HST on March 3, 2026
New Zealand: 12:04-1:02 a.m. NZDT on March 4, 2026
Sydney: 10:04-11:02 p.m. AEDT on March 3, 2026
Brisbane, Australia: 9:04-10:02 p.m. AEST on March 3, 2026
Adelaide, Australia: 9:34-10:32 p.m. ACDT on March 3, 2026
Darwin, Australia: 8:34-9:32 p.m. on March 3, 2026
Perth, Australia: 7:04-8:02 p.m. on March 3, 2026
Tokyo: 8:04-9:02 p.m. JST on March 3, 2026
Seoul: 8:04-9:02 p.m. KST on March 3, 2026
Beijing: 7:04-8:02 p.m. CST on March 3, 2026
Hong Kong: 7:04-8:02 p.m. HKT on March 3, 2026

sequence of a total lunar eclipse showing the moon get progressively more blood red and then move back to it's usual gray. — This total lunar eclipse composite image, captured from Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sept. 7, 2025, shows the stages of a total lunar eclipse. (Image credit: Isura Nimantha/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

If you're unable to catch the lunar eclipse in person, we'll be livestreaming the event on Space.com. You can also follow along with the latest updates in our lunar eclipse live blog.

What will happen?

The eclipse begins at 3:44 a.m. EST (0844 GMT) when the moon enters Earth's penumbral shadow, causing a subtle shading effect. As it moves deeper into the umbra, a dark shadow will creep across the lunar surface and the moon will turn a reddish-orange hue during maximum eclipse. The overall duration of the lunar eclipse will be 5 hours and 39 minutes.

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022, having previously worked as a staff writer for All About Space magazine. She completed an editorial internship with BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre, communicating space science to the public.

Daisy holds a PhD in plant physiology and a Master's in Environmental Science. Based in Nottingham, U.K., she covers all things space, with a special focus on solar activity and space weather. She also has a keen interest in astrotourism and is always on the lookout for the next northern lights adventure.

She will be a guest speaker aboard HX's Solar Eclipse Expedition in August 2026 and will join Hurtigruten as an onboard astronomer for a northern lights sailing in January 2027.