On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the Moon will once again dip into Earth’s shadow in a total lunar eclipse, unfolding as it crosses the descending node of its orbit. This celestial event will carry an umbral magnitude of 1.1526, signifying a deep plunge into the Earth’s dark central shadow—the umbra—and promising a rich, reddish eclipse at maximum totality. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire near side of the Moon moves into the umbra, extinguishing direct sunlight and transforming the Moon into a copper-tinged orb. This coloring is caused by Earth's atmosphere, which bends and filters sunlight into the shadow, softly illuminating the lunar surface in hues that range from rust to blood red. It’s an atmospheric portrait painted on a cosmic canvas. Visible to skywatchers across Earth’s night side, this eclipse invites wide participation without the need for special equipment—just clear skies and a bit of patience. The total phase can last close to two hours, offering a prolonged and immersive experience quite unlike the fleeting drama of a total solar eclipse, whose shadow races across Earth in mere minutes due to the Moon’s smaller size. The timing of this eclipse is also key to its visual character: it occurs 6.7 days after perigee (when the Moon is closest to Earth, on February 24 at 18:15 UTC) and 6.9 days before apogee (its farthest point, on March 10 at 09:45 UTC). With these distances nearly balanced, the Moon will appear moderately sized, lending the eclipse a classic, symmetrical aesthetic. This event also marks the third in a series of four eclipses forming an “almost tetrad.” Preceded by the total eclipses of March 14, 2025, and September 8, 2025, and followed by the partial eclipse on August 28, 2026, the sequence creates a rhythmic arc of shadow and revelation—each one a chapter in the Moon’s ongoing alignment with Earth and Sun.