Total lunar eclipse: Rare blood moon to appear over S’pore on Mar. 3, 2026

Coinciding with the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, a rare blood moon will grace Singapore's skies in a total lunar eclipse.

According to a Feb. 6 press release from Science Centre Singapore, this marks the last visible total lunar eclipse till Dec. 31, 2028.

This phenomenon happens when a full moon, the Earth and the sun are lined up in a row, obscuring the other celestial body entirely.

This causes the Earth's shadow to be cast upon the moon's face, giving it a reddish-orange glow.

Timings

The event can be observed from 7:15pm as the moon rises with the maximum eclipse at 7:33pm.

According to the Science Centre, at the maximum eclipse, the moon will be very low, and "one would need a clear horizon unobstructed by trees or buildings" to see the eclipsed moon rise.

Between 7:47pm and 8:02pm, the moon will escape the Earth's red shadow and get brighter.

The eclipse will conclude at 9:17pm when the moon returns to full visibility.

Scientific explanation

The moon takes on a red or orange glow as the Earth's atmosphere scatters away shorter wavelengths of light, like blue, allowing longer wavelengths, which are warm-toned, to slip through.

The dustier the air, the redder the moon.

This phenomenon will only be visible from approximately half of the Earth, and this time, Singapore falls within the viewing region.

Total lunar eclipses only happen once every three to four years, and different parts of the world might see different phases of the eclipses.

No special equipment is needed to view the eclipse.

Top photo from Canva