{"id":310399,"date":"2026-03-03T04:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T04:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/310399\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T04:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T04:25:08","slug":"total-lunar-eclipse-over-new-zealand-tonight-best-time-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/310399\/","title":{"rendered":"Total lunar eclipse over New Zealand tonight: Best time to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Zealand will be one of the only places in the world to observe the entire duration of tonight\u2019s lunar eclipse, Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told the Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost six hours in total, but the eclipse is going to start at about quarter to 10, but you\u2019re not really going to notice much happening for the first couple hours,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While the best time to see the blood moon will be between midnight and 1am when the moon will be reddest, the effects of the eclipse will be visible much earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy about 11pm, you\u2019ll start to notice the kind of visible redness take over the disc of the moon, and then by midnight it\u2019s going to be completely within the Earth\u2019s shadow.\u201d<\/p>\n

9.45 pm – Moon slowly dims10.50 pm – Partial eclipse begins12.00 am – Total eclipse begins12.33 am – Maximum eclipse1.00 am – Total eclipse ends, the moon will slowly return to its normal colour<\/p>\n

It will be visible just about anywhere in the country thanks to the moon\u2019s height in the sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need, like, a clear and unobstructed view or anything\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s the moon, you can see it in the cities no matter what. Light pollution\u2019s not really a factor, so basically anywhere is going to get a pretty decent view.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kiwis should keep an eye on the forecast for cloud this evening as they plan where to watch the astronomical event. <\/p>\n

A \ud83c\udf15 lunar eclipse is on the way, but will \u2601\ufe0f cloud cover get in the way? \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

For most areas, we\u2019re expecting clear skies \u2728 tonight, making for great eclipse viewing \ud83d\udd2d\ud83c\udf0c. However, cloud is expected to persist in a few key areas. The lower half of the North Island and the east\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/VPpArEcACV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MetService NZ (@MetService) March 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden told the Herald tonight\u2019s forecast is \u201clooking like good news in general\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost places should see clear skies this evening, making for great viewing of the lunar eclipse,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

However, in other parts of the country, moisture pushing across the east will create cloud cover that might restrict the moon\u2019s visibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose eastern places, so Gisborne, Hawke\u2019s Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington and perhaps South Taranaki, as well as Whanganui, and also the Kaik\u014dura Coast down to maybe about north of Christchurch, Hurunui area, we\u2019re expecting them to remain pretty cloudy this evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there may still be breaks where Kiwis in these regions can get a glimpse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always recommend just trying your luck even if it\u2019s not looking too great\u201d, Aoraki said. <\/p>\n

\u201cEven for areas that do have clouds, you only just need a quick break in the clouds to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is a blood moon?<\/p>\n

Aoraki said the striking celestial sight is \u201cbasically\u201d light being broken up in the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

As the Earth, sun, and moon slowly shift into near-perfect alignment, the moon will gradually appear red as the Earth blocks the sun and casts a shadow across its surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you imagine during a sunrise or a sunset, as sunlight is passing through the atmosphere, it has to go through more of it, so it gets split up into the red wavelengths and those actually get kind of refracted or bent around the Earth into the Earth\u2019s shadow.\u201d<\/p>\n