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The lunar eclipse will take place on March 3, 2026 from 3:02 p.m. to 6:47 p.m.
A lunar eclipse transforms the Moon into an eerie copper-red orb, a phenomenon often called a “Blood Moon.” This happens when the Earth slides between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow that filters sunlight through our planet's thick, dusty atmosphere.
Three-body alignment: A total lunar eclipse occurs only during the Full Moon when the Sun, Earth and Moon align perfectly. Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface, placing the Moon completely within the darkest part of its shadow, the umbra.
Role of the Earth's atmosphere: If the Earth had no atmosphere, the Moon would turn completely black during an eclipse. However, our atmosphere acts like a giant lens, bending and filtering sunlight around the edges of the planet and redirecting it toward the darkened lunar surface.
Understanding Rayleigh Scattering: As sunlight travels through Earth's atmosphere, gas molecules scatter shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue and violet. This is the same scientific principle that makes the sky look blue during the day and the sun look orange at sunset.
Long wavelength domain: While blue light is scattered, longer wavelengths, such as red and orange, pass through the atmosphere more easily. These “surviving” red light waves curve toward the Moon, providing the eerie crimson glow that characterizes a total lunar eclipse.
The global sunset effect: You can imagine the red glow as the light of every sunrise and sunset that occurs on Earth at that exact moment. This ring of filtered light is projected onto the Moon, making it a mirror of Earth's atmospheric color profile.
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