New Zealanders are in for a striking night sky moment, providing the weather is clear, as a total lunar eclipse – often called a “Blood Moon” – casts its glow across the country on the evening of 3 March into the early hours of 4 March. As the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, our natural satellite will slip into shadow and gradually take on a deep copper-red hue, a colour created by sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere.
Unlike a solar eclipse, no special gear is needed – just clear skies and a willingness to look up. With the entire event visible from start to finish, Aotearoa truly does have a front-row seat to one of 2026’s most memorable celestial displays.