March 2026 lunar eclipse

Last updated
Total lunar eclipse
3 March 2026
Ecliptic north up
Lunar eclipse chart close-2026Mar03.png
The Moon will pass west to east (right to left) through the Earth's shadow.
Saros (and member) 133 (27 of 71)
Gamma -0.3765
Magnitude 1.1507
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality0:58:19
Partial3:27:10
Penumbral5:38:37
Contacts (UTC)
P18:44:22
U19:50:00
U211:04:26
Greatest11:33:37
U312:02:45
U413:17:10
P414:22:59

A total lunar eclipse will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the first of two lunar eclipses in 2026.

Contents

This eclipse is the third of an almost tetrad, with others being 14 Mar 2025 (T), 07 Sep 2025 (T) and 28 Aug 2026 (P).

Visibility

It will be completely visible over the Pacific, western USA and Canada, and New Zealand, will be seen rising over Australia and Asia, and setting over the rest of the Americas.

Lunar eclipse from moon-2026Mar03.png

Eclipses in 2026

Lunar year series

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2024–2027
Descending node Ascending node
Saros DateType
Viewing
GammaSarosDate
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
113 2024 Mar 25
Lunar eclipse from moon-2024Mar25.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2024Mar25.png
1.06098118 2024 Sep 18
Lunar eclipse from moon-2024Sep18.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2024Sep18.png
−0.97920
123 2025 Mar 14
Lunar eclipse from moon-2025Mar14.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-2025Mar14.png
0.34846128 2025 Sep 07
Lunar eclipse from moon-2025Sep07.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-2025Sep07.png
−0.27521
133 2026 Mar 03
Lunar eclipse from moon-2026Mar03.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-2026Mar03.png
−0.37651138 2026 Aug 28
Lunar eclipse from moon-2026Aug28.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2026Aug28.png
0.49644
143 2027 Feb 20
Lunar eclipse from moon-2027Feb20.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2027Feb20.png
−1.04803148 2027 Aug 17
Lunar eclipse from moon-2027Aug17.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2027Aug17.png
1.27974
Last set 2023 May 05 Last set 2023 Oct 28
Next set 2028 Jan 12 Next set 2027 Jul 18

Saros series

This lunar eclipse is part of series 133 of the Saros cycle, which repeats every 18 years and 11 days. Series 133 runs from the year 1557 until 2819. The previous eclipse of this series occurred on 21 February 2008 and the next will occur on 13 March 2044.

It is the 7th of 21 total lunar eclipses in series 133. The first was on 28 December 1917. The last (21st) will be on 3 August 2278. The longest two occurrences of this series (14th and 15th) will last for a total of 1 hour and 42 minutes on 18 May 2152 and 30 May 2170. Solar saros 140 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Metonic cycle (19 years)

The Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the earth's shadow will be in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.

  1. 1988 Mar 03.675 – Partial (113)
  2. 2007 Mar 03.972 – Total (123)
  3. 2026 Mar 03.481 – Total (133)
  4. 2045 Mar 03.320 – Penumbral (143)
  1. 1988 Aug 27.461 – partial (118)
  2. 2007 Aug 28.442 – total (128)
  3. 2026 Aug 28.175 – partial (138)
  4. 2045 Aug 27.578 – penumbral (148)
Metonic lunar eclipse 1988-2045.png Metonic lunar eclipses 1988-2045.png

Inex series

The inex series repeats eclipses 20 days short of 29 years, repeating on average every 10571.95 days. This period is equal to 358 lunations (synodic months) and 388.5 draconic months. Saros series increment by one on successive Inex events and repeat at alternate ascending and descending lunar nodes.

This period is 383.6734 anomalistic months (the period of the Moon's elliptical orbital precession). Despite the average 0.05 time-of-day shift between subsequent events, the variation of the Moon in its elliptical orbit at each event causes the actual eclipse time to vary significantly. It is a part of Lunar Inex series 35.

Series events from 1500–2500
Descending nodeAscending nodeDescending nodeAscending node
Saros Date
Chart
SarosDate
Chart
SarosDate
Chart
SarosDate
Chart
115 1505 Feb 18
Lunar eclipse chart close-1505Feb18.png
116 1534 Jan 30
Lunar eclipse chart close-1534Jan30.png
117 1563 Jan 9 118 1591 Dec 30
119 1620 Dec 9 120 1649 Nov 19 121 1678 Oct 29 122 1707 Oct 11
123 1736 Sep 20 124 1765 Aug 30 125 1794 Aug 11 126 1823 Jul 23
127 1852 Jul 1 128 1881 Jun 12 129 1910 May 24
Lunar eclipse chart close-1910May24.png
130 1939 May 3
Lunar eclipse chart close-1939May03.png
131 1968 Apr 13
Lunar eclipse chart close-1968Apr13.png
132 1997 Mar 24
Lunar eclipse chart close-1997Mar24.png
133 2026 Mar 3
Lunar eclipse chart close-2026Mar03.png
134 2055 Feb 11
Lunar eclipse chart close-2055Feb11.png
135 2084 Jan 22
Lunar eclipse chart close-2084Jan22.png
136 2113 Jan 2 137 2141 Dec 13 138 2170 Nov 23
139 2199 Nov 2 140 2228 Oct 14 141 2257 Sep 24 142 2286 Sep 3
143 2315 Aug 16 144 2344 Jul 26 145 2373 Jul 5 146 2402 Jun 16
147 2431 May 27 148 2460 May 5
Lunar eclipse chart close-2460May05.png
149 2489 Apr 16
Lunar eclipse chart close-2489Apr16.png

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). [1] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 140.

26 February 2017 9 March 2035
SE2017Feb26A.png SE2035Mar09A.png

See also

Related Research Articles

The inex is an eclipse cycle of 10,571.95 days. The cycle was first described in modern times by Crommelin in 1901, but was named by George van den Bergh who studied it in detail half a century later. It has been suggested that the cycle was known to Hipparchos. One inex after an eclipse of a particular saros series there will be an eclipse in the next saros series, unless the latter saros series has come to an end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2040 lunar eclipse</span> 2040 astronomical phenomenon

A total lunar eclipse will take place on May 26, 2040. The northern limb of the moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow. This is the second central lunar eclipse of Saros series 131.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2029 lunar eclipse</span> Future lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place between Monday and Tuesday, June 25-26, 2029. A central total eclipse lasting 1 hour and 41 minutes 53 seconds will plunge the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passes right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may be stained a deep orange or red color at maximum eclipse. It will be able to be seen from most of the Americas, Western Europe and Africa. The partial eclipse will last for 3 hours and 39 minutes 32 seconds in total.

A total lunar eclipse took place on Friday, August 6, 1971, the second of two total lunar eclipses in 1971. A dramatic total eclipse lasting 1 hour, 39 minutes and 24.8 seconds plunged the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passed right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse. This was a great spectacle for everyone who saw it. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours, 35 minutes and 31.9 seconds in total. Occurring only 2.2 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was 3.6% larger than average and the moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2025 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse of September 2025.

A total lunar eclipse will take place between Sunday, September 7 and Monday, September 8, 2025. The Moon will barely miss the center of the Earth's shadow. It will be the second of two total lunar eclipses. Occurring roughly 3 days before perigee, the Moon will appear larger than usual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April 1968 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse April 13, 1968

A total lunar eclipse took place on Saturday, April 13, 1968, the first of two total eclipses in 1968, the second being on October 6, 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2058 lunar eclipse</span>

A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 6, 2058. The moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">July 1953 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse July 26, 1953

A total lunar eclipse took place on Sunday, July 26, 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2069 lunar eclipse</span> Central lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place on May 6, 2069. The eclipse will be a dark one with the southern tip of the moon passing through the center of the Earth's shadow. This is the first central eclipse of Saros series 132.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 2, 2019</span> 21st-century total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the ascending node of the Moon's orbit on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, with an eclipse magnitude of 1.0459. Totality was visible from the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand to the Coquimbo Region in Chile and Central Argentina at sunset, with the maximum of 4 minutes 33 seconds visible from the Pacific Ocean. The Moon was only 2.4 days before perigee, making it fairly large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of February 26, 2017</span> 21st-century annular solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse took place on February 26, 2017. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring only 4.7 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. The moon's apparent diameter was just over 0.7% smaller than the Sun's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 22, 1990</span> 20th-century total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on July 22, 1990. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible in southern Finland, the Soviet Union, and eastern Andreanof Islands and Amukta of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of June 11, 2048</span> Future annular solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse will occur on Thursday, June 11, 2048 with a magnitude of 0.9441. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of June 30, 1992</span> 20th-century total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on June 30, 1992. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible in southeastern Uruguay and southern tip of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 11, 1961</span> 20th-century annular solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse occurred on August 11, 1961. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. A small annular eclipse covered only 94% of the Sun in a very broad path, 499 km wide at maximum, and lasted 6 minutes and 35 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of May 20, 2050</span> Future total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will occur on May 20, 2050. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. This eclipse is a hybrid eclipse, starting and ending as an annular solar eclipse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of May 22, 2077</span> Future total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will occur on Saturday, May 22, 2077. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 10, 1934</span> 20th-century annular solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse occurred on August 10, 1934, with an eclipse magnitude of 0.9436. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of September 21, 1903</span> 20th-century total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on September 21, 1903. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 31, 1932</span> 20th-century total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on August 31, 1932. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible from Northwest Territories and Quebec in Canada, and northeastern Vermont, New Hampshire, southwestern Maine, northeastern tip of Massachusetts and northeastern Cape Cod in the United States.

References

  1. Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros