If you’re looking up at the sky tonight, January 17, 2026, and wondering where that big copper-red moon is, I’ve got some news. You won't find it. Not tonight, anyway. Honestly, there is a ton of noise online about a "moon eclipse right now," but we are currently sitting in a waning crescent phase. The moon is basically a tiny sliver—about 2% illumination—and it's heading straight for a New Moon on January 18.
But don't go putting your binoculars away just yet.
We are actually standing on the doorstep of a massive year for astronomy. If you've felt like the sky has been a bit quiet lately, that's about to change. We have four eclipses lined up for 2026, and the first "real" one is closer than you think.
The Total Lunar Eclipse of March 3, 2026
The one everyone is actually waiting for is the Total Lunar Eclipse on March 3, 2026. This is the big one. The "Blood Moon."
It’s a global event, but like most things in space, where you stand on the planet dictates exactly how much of the show you get to see. This eclipse belongs to Saros series 133, which is basically a fancy way for astronomers like Fred Espenak at NASA to track "families" of eclipses that repeat every 18 years.
Who gets the best seat?
If you're in Western North America, Australia, New Zealand, or East Asia, you've basically won the celestial lottery. You’ll see the whole thing from start to finish.
📖 Related: Joe Shanghai Restaurant Chinatown NYC: What Most People Get Wrong
For the folks on the East Coast of the US, it’s a bit of a race against the sun. The moon will actually be setting right as it hits totality. You'll see it turn red, but it'll be hugging the horizon, which, honestly, makes for some of the best photos anyway because of the "moon illusion" making it look massive against buildings or trees.
The Timeline (UTC)
- Penumbral Begins: 08:44 UTC
- Partial Begins: 09:50 UTC
- Totality (The Blood Moon phase): 11:04 UTC to 12:03 UTC
- Maximum Eclipse: 11:33 UTC
Why does it turn red anyway?
It’s kinda wild when you think about it. During a moon eclipse right now (or when it happens in March), the Earth is perfectly sandwiched between the sun and the moon. You’d think the moon would just go pitch black because Earth is blocking the light.
Nope.
Our atmosphere acts like a lens. It bends sunlight around the edges of the Earth. The blue light gets scattered—that’s why the sky is blue—but the red light passes through and hits the moon. Essentially, you are looking at the reflection of every single sunrise and sunset happening on Earth at that exact moment.
Pretty cool, right?
Common Misconceptions About the 2026 Eclipses
I see this a lot: people think every full moon is an eclipse. I wish. Because the moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees compared to Earth’s orbit around the sun, it usually passes "above" or "below" the shadow. We only get that perfect alignment a few times a year.
Another thing? People confuse the Total Solar Eclipse coming on August 12, 2026, with these lunar events. They are totally different beasts. While the lunar eclipse in March is safe to look at with your bare eyes, that solar eclipse in August—which will be visible in Spain and Iceland—will absolutely require those funky glasses.
The 2026 Lineup:
- February 17: Annular Solar Eclipse (Visible mainly in Antarctica).
- March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse (The main event for the Americas and Asia).
- August 12: Total Solar Eclipse (The "Great European Eclipse").
- August 28: Partial Lunar Eclipse (A "bite" taken out of the moon).
How to prepare for the March Blood Moon
You don't need a $2,000 telescope. Honestly, you don't even need a $20 one. Lunar eclipses are best enjoyed with the naked eye or a decent pair of birdwatching binoculars.
The biggest enemy isn't gear; it's light pollution and clouds.
If you're in a city like Seattle or Tokyo, you’ll see the color just fine. But if you can get away from the streetlights, the "red" becomes way more vivid—almost like a glowing ember in the sky. Weather is the real gamble. Statistically, inland Australia and the Southwestern US (Arizona, New Mexico) have the best odds for clear skies in early March.
What to do next
Since there isn't a moon eclipse right now in the sky today, use this time to prep. Check your local moonrise and moonset times for March 3. If you’re planning on photographing it, start practicing on the full moon on February 1. You'll want to figure out your exposure settings now so you aren't fumbling in the dark when the moon starts turning red.
Download a sky-tracking app like Stellarium or SkySafari. These tools let you "fast forward" time to see exactly where the moon will be in your specific backyard on the morning of March 3. This way, you'll know if that giant oak tree in your neighbor's yard is going to block your view of totality.
Mark your calendar for the early morning hours of March 3 if you're in the US, or the evening if you're in Asia. It's the last total lunar eclipse we get until late 2028, so you really don't want to sleep through this one.