On 3 March 2026, the “worm moon” – a name given to the full moon in March – will rise.
And due to an event called a total lunar eclipse, this year, it’s set to look deep red from some parts of the Earth.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
This can only happen during a full moon. It occurs when the Earth gets into a position right in between the moon and the sun, making the surface of the moon look dimmer.
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When the moon moves into the inner part of the Earth’s shadow (its umbra) in a total lunar eclipse, the Earth’s atmosphere filters the light from the sun to the moon.
Why will March’s “blood moon” be red?
During a total lunar eclipse, the light on the moon has to pass through our atmosphere.
Because shorter waves of light, like blue and purple tones, scatter faster than their longer-length cousins, red and orange, the moon can look reddish or orange during the event.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA said.
This is sometimes called a blood moon, thanks to the colour.
The more dust in our atmosphere, the redder the moon is likely to look.
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When will the “blood moon” happen?
It’s set to happen on 3 March, 2026. And while the time the moon actually spends in the Earth’s umbra is just under an hour, Space.com said that “the show goes on for much longer than that”.
The eclipse will “peak” at 11:33am GMT. At this point, the moon will move closest to the centre of the Earth’s shadow, as part of the “eclipse maximum”.
Where can I see the March blood moon?
Sadly, it won’t be visible from the UK or Ireland – nor will it be seen from Africa or Europe.
But views from North America, the Pacific area, Australia, and parts of East Asia are expected to be particularly stunning.
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Why is the March moon called the “worm moon”?
Per Royal Museums Greenwich, the name comes from Native Americans, who coined the term because of “the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground” in March.
Other names include the death moon, crust moon, sap moon, and chaste moon.
And, of course, this month, it counts as a “blood moon” too.
