Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Total Lunar Eclipse, Wednesday March 3, 2026
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| North-eastern horizon as seen from Sydney on 3 March at 22:34 AEDST. The Moon is at totality. The inset shows the telescopic/binocular view at this time. Click to embiggen | North-eastern as seen from Adelaide on 3 March at 22:03 ACDST. The Moon is at totality. The inset shows the telescopic/binocular view at this time. Click to embiggen | Eastern horizon as seen from Perth on 3 March at 19:34 AWST. The Moon is at totality. The inset shows the telescopic/binocular view at this time. Click to embiggen |
On the evening of Wednesday, March the 3rd there is a nice total eclipse, the last total eclipse in Australia until December 2028 (which is in the early morning). Fortunately, the eclipse starts in the early evening, and is very convenient, especially if you have young children. This is a nice eclipse with totality lasting 59 minutes.
Times for the eclipse at cities around Australia are below. Western Australia sees the moon rise in the twilight almost completely eclipsed, Central states see the eclipse end around Nautical twilight as the sky is beginning to darken. For the East coast sees the eclipse start either when the sky is fully dark or twilight is just ending. Everywhere will be able to see totality and eclipse end.
You will see some sites calling this a "blood Moon", The Moon does not turn the colour of blood but will go a deep copper colour due to the refraction of red light through our atmosphere.
See here for a map and contact timings in Universal Time for sites outside Australia.
| City | Civil Twilight | Nautical Twilight | Astronomical twilight | Eclipse Start | Totality Start | Maximum Eclipse | Totality End | Eclipse End |
| Adelaide (ACDST) |
20:16 |
20:46 | 21:18 | 20:20 | 21:34 | 22:03 | 22:33 | 23:47 |
| Alice Springs (ACST) | 19:45 | 20:14 | 20:43 | 19:20 | 20:34 | 21:04 | 21:33 | 22:47 |
| Brisbane (AEST) | 18:41 | 19:09 | 19:37 | 19:50 | 21:04 | 21:34 | 22:03 | 23:17 |
| Cairns (AEST) | 19:02 | 19:28 | 19:53 | 19:50 | 21:04 | 21:34 | 22:03 | 23:17 |
| Canberra (AEDST) | 20:04 | 20:35 | 21:06 | 20:50 | 22:04 | 22:34 | 23:03 | 00:17 |
| Darwin (ACST) | 19:29 | 19:54 | 20:19 | 19:20 | 20:34 | 21:03 | 21:33 | 22:47 |
| Hobart (AEDST) | 20:21 | 20:56 | 21:32 | 20:50 | 22:04 | 22:34 | 23:03 | 00:17 |
| Melbourne (AEDST) | 20:24 | 20:56 | 21:28 | 20:50 | 22:04 | 22:34 | 23:03 | 00:17 |
| Perth (AWST) | 19:14 | 19:43 | 20:13 | 17:50 | 19:04 | 19:34 | 20:03 | 21:17 |
| Rockhampton (AEST) | 18:48 | 19:15 | 19:42 | 19:50 | 21:04 | 21:34 | 22:03 | 23:17 |
| Sydney (AEDST) | 19:55 | 20:24 | 20:55 | 20:50 | 22:04 | 22:34 | 23:03 | 00:17 |
| Townsville (AEST) | 19:00 | 19:25 | 19:52 | 19:50 | 21:04 | 21:34 | 22:03 | 23:17 |
Weather: Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: eclipse, lunar eclipse, unaided eye
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