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Ephemeris: 03/02/2026 – There’s a total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning

March 2, 2026 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Monday, March 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 6:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:16. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 7:19 tomorrow morning.

Early tomorrow morning* there will be total lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse, also known as an eclipse of the Moon occurs when the full moon moves into the earth’s shadow cutting off most of its sunlight. A little sunlight does get in by being bent around the Earth by its atmosphere through all the sunrises and sunsets going on at that time. The moon’s color generally becomes dark red, this also depends on the Earth’s atmosphere and the amount of clouds, smoke and volcanic ash that are in it at the time. The partial phase will begin at 4:50 AM and will last until totality starts at 6:04 AM. Totality will last until 7:02 AM. The growing twilight may cause the totally eclipsed Moon to disappear before then.

The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EST, UT – 5 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.

* The Moon sets for us in Michigan before the end of the eclipse. Locations west of us in North America and the Pacific get to see the entire eclipse.

Addendum

Three views of the total lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026.
Three views of the total lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026. From left to right: Just after the beginning of the partial phase, when the Moon begina to enter the Earth’s umbra. Center is a few minutes before totality, when the Moon is almost completely imersed into the Earth’s umbra. On the right, the Moon at mid eclipse, with the brightening twilit sky. This is Stellarium’s rendition. I’m willing to bet that the Moon will actually be invisible at this point.
Total Lunar Eclipse March 3, 2026
Events for the Grand Traverse area (Eastern Standard Time)
Time Event
03:44 AM Begin Penumbral phase. This is the theoretical start of the eclipse. Nothing will appear to happen until about half an hour before the partial phase starts. Then the upper left part of the Moon will appear to darken.
04:50 AM Begin Partial phase. The umbra will encroach onto the Moon from upper left to lower right. The dull red of the umbral shadow may be discerned near the beginning of totality.
05:40 AM Astronomical Twilight begins. The Sun is 18° below the horizon.
06:04 AM Begin Totality. The expected dull red of the Moon will be brighter on the edge nearest the edge of the umbral shadow. How long will the totally eclipsed Moon be visible?
06:14 AM Nautical Twilight begins. The Sun is 12° below the horizon.
06:34 AM Mid-Eclipse
07:03 AM End Totality. Will a tiny slice of the Moon become visible in the brightening sky before it sets?
07:18 AM Sunrise
07:19 AM Moonset

For more about lunar eclipses in general, see my post for last year’s lunar eclipse: Almost everything you wanted to know about lunar eclipses.

Categories: Astronomical Event, Ephemeris Program, Lunar Eclipse, Observing Tags: