March 3, 2026: A total lunar eclipse occurs during the Worm Moon. Learn how to see the eclipse during the predawn hours.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:22 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:44 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Venus as an Evening Star
Worm Moon Lunar Eclipse
A total lunar eclipse occurs this morning during the Worm Moon. The lunar orb is completely blocked for nearly an hour.
The complete cycle of the eclipse is visible from western North America, Japan, New Zealand, most of Australia, and islands across the Pacific Ocean basin. Across Asia, the moon rises during the eclipse. Europe and Africa miss this one. From the rest of the Americas, the moon sets during the eclipse’s latter stages.
Look for Leo during Eclipse
The moon is in front of Leo, more than 10° to Regulus’ upper left, the Lion’s brightest star. Without bright moonlight, dimmer stars appear across the sky, revealing the Lion’s outline.
Unlike a solar eclipse, special eye protection is not required. Binoculars or a spotting scope help accent the view. Use the lowest magnifying powers in a telescope. Photograph the eclipse with a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone, using exposures of up to several seconds.
The moon’s orbit is tilted 5° compared to Earth’s orbital plane, known as the ecliptic. The moon crosses this plane twice each month at points known as nodes. If the moon crosses a node at New Moon, a solar eclipse occurs; at Full Moon, a lunar eclipse occurs.
Earth’s Shadow
Earth casts a shadow into space. When the moon passes into that shadow it is eclipsed, except for orange light refracted into the umbra that softly illuminates it. In recent years, the coppery color of the lunar eclipse has been popularized as a “blood moon.” This eclipse occurs during the Worm Moon, the third Full Moon of the winter season. Eclipse headlines will likely include “Worm Blood Moon” or “Blood Worm Moon.”
The shadow is made of two concentric circles: the outer penumbra and the dark inner umbra, where totality occurs. The penumbral phase is not easily observed. When the moon’s eastern edge (limb) nudges into the umbra, a partial lunar eclipse begins—part of the moon dark, the remainder brightly lit. After the hour-long total eclipse, a partial phase follows, ending with a final penumbral stage. The entire eclipse cycle lasts nearly six hours.
Eclipse Color
The orange illumination during the eclipse varies in brightness, depending on dust and other airborne particles in the atmosphere. The brightness cannot be predicted beforehand, but it is rated afterward on the Danjon scale of eclipse brightness, from “Very dark” (0) to “Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse” (4).
The best part of the eclipse—the total phase—lasts about an hour, beginning at 5:03 a.m. Central Time, when the moon is only 14° up in the west, about the same altitude as the Sun an hour before sunset. From the Eastern Time Zone, totality begins when the moon is 6° above the western horizon.
For rough measurements, your fist extended at arm’s length spans about 10°. From Chicago, the moon is roughly one and a half fists above the horizon when totality begins and about half a fist high in Washington, D.C.
Eclipse Times
Below are the times for totality and the moon’s altitude at major cities.
| Location | Total Begins | Altitude | Totality Ends | Altitude | Moonset |
| Washington, DC | 6:03 a.m. | 6° | 6:40 a.m. | ||
| Atlanta | 6:03 | 12° | 7:03 a.m. | 6° | 7:06 |
| Chicago | 5:03 | 14° | 6:03 | 3° | 6:25 |
| Denver | 4:03 | 27° | 5:03 | 16° | 6:34 |
| Tucson | 4:03 | 34° | 5:03 | 22° | 6:53 |
| Los Angeles | 3:03 | 39° | 4:03 | 28° | 6:24 |
| Anchorage | 2:03 | 34° | 3:03 | 30 ° | 5:24 |
Set an alarm to get up early to see the best part of the eclipse. Find a clear view toward the west to see it. The next lunar eclipse is a partial event on August 28 during the evening hours.
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