{"id":202189,"date":"2026-03-03T03:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T03:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/what-time-does-the-total-lunar-eclipse-start-see-the-full-timeline-usa-today\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T03:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T03:51:16","slug":"what-time-does-the-total-lunar-eclipse-start-see-the-full-timeline-usa-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/what-time-does-the-total-lunar-eclipse-start-see-the-full-timeline-usa-today\/","title":{"rendered":"What time does the total lunar eclipse start? See the full timeline &#8211; USA Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Get ready for the Moon to put on a show!<br \/>If you\u2019re up early Tuesday, March 3, it\u2019s worth <a href=\/story\/news\/nation\/2026\/03\/02\/who-can-see-total-lunar-eclipse-blood-moon\/88946682007\/ data-t-l=:b|e|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>taking a look at the sky<\/a>. In the pre\u2011dawn hours, the full Moon will slide completely into Earth\u2019s shadow, creating a <a href=\/story\/graphics\/2026\/02\/27\/blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2026-march\/88661675007\/ data-t-l=:b|e|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>total lunar eclipse<\/a>. And because it\u2019s also March\u2019s full moon \u2014 known as the <a href=\/story\/graphics\/2026\/02\/27\/blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2026-march\/88661675007\/ data-t-l=:b|e|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>Worm Moon<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s a two\u2011for\u2011one treat for skywatchers.<br \/>So why does the Moon turn red? As Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, it blocks direct sunlight. But a little light still sneaks through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, where blue light gets scattered and red light bends around the planet. That reddish glow reaches the Moon, giving it that coppery look or <a href=\/story\/news\/nation\/2026\/03\/01\/total-lunar-eclipse-explainer\/88905785007\/ data-t-l=:b|e|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>\u201cblood moon\u201d glow<\/a>.<br \/>Here&#8217;s what to know.<br \/>Early risers will have the best view. The eclipse gets underway around 4 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 3, with totality lasting until about 7 a.m. ET, while a partial eclipse will continue until roughly 9 a.m. ET.<br \/>The early stages are easy to miss, but once totality begins, the Moon&#8217;s color shift is unmistakable.<br \/>For tips on watching the eclipse, and spotting stars and planets, NASA&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/skywatching\/whats-up\/ target=_blank rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=:b|z|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>What&#8217;s Up guide<\/a> is a helpful resource. Binoculars or a telescope can bring out more detail, and heading somewhere dark, away from bright lights, will make the show even better.<br \/>Nope. Unlike solar eclipse, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye, according to NASA. Binoculars or a telescope can make the colors pop, but they\u2019re optional.<br \/>The eclipse will be visible across much of North America, while parts of Central Asia and South America will see a partial eclipse. It will not be visible in Europe or Africa, according to NASA.<br \/>This will be the only total lunar eclipse visible anywhere in the world in 2026. After Tuesday morning, the next chance to see a blood moon won\u2019t come until late 2028.<br \/><em>Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on\u00a0<a href=https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/juliamgomez\/ target=_blank rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=:b|z|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/JuliaMarieGZ target=_blank rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=:b|z|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>X<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/juliamariegz\/ target=_blank rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=:b|z|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>Instagram<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@juliamariegz target=_blank rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=:b|z|k|\u2691u class=gnt_ar_b_a>TikTok<\/a>: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMipgFBVV95cUxQWUJ1RkdPR3dHSkx5a09UdnVFMWhYaTBSaTE3dnZnQ1h1TWhVN1lHQVNOOXJTLVNCT3BVRHNiVG0zOXZzVDV1ck9ReWxjQjVyWExIeHo5Skg5Rm5jQldLbFdMN3hJZTBWb1JMcUhEZ1hJUk1hWTFVWWNzbzJzNEJTREh3SzdZZWJzalB2VW1mSTJpeS16WU1kbE5Qang4RXBkZU95NFRB?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get ready for the Moon to put on a show!If you\u2019re up early Tuesday, March 3, it\u2019s worth taking a look at the sky. In the pre\u2011dawn hours, the full Moon will slide completely into Earth\u2019s shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse. And because it\u2019s also March\u2019s full moon \u2014 known as the Worm Moon [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":202190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-202189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}