{"id":311229,"date":"2026-03-03T17:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/311229\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T17:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:01:13","slug":"in-pictures-only-lunar-eclipse-of-2026-graces-nz-skies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/311229\/","title":{"rendered":"In pictures: Only lunar eclipse of 2026 graces NZ skies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_e8637e67_bc32_40ad_a073_742a4963cd87_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"590\" alt=\"The elipse at its max, taken from Wai-iti Dark Sky Park in Tasman.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nThe elipse at its max, taken from Wai-iti Dark Sky Park in Tasman.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Brent\n<\/p>\n<p>Budding astronomers and photographers have ditched sleep overnight to lay eyes on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/588431\/only-lunar-eclipse-of-2026-taking-place-tonight\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">total lunar eclipse over New Zealand<\/a> &#8211; from what one expert says is the &#8220;best seat in the world&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The only lunar eclipse of 2026, also known as a blood moon, began just before 10pm on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki earlier told RNZ lunar eclipses were not rare per se &#8211; the rarity was whether or not it was visible from your location.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For this one in particular, we really have the best seat in the world, really. It&#8217;s really only visible for its entirety over the Pacific. And it&#8217;s the only one that we&#8217;re going to see this year. I don&#8217;t think we have another until 2028, about two years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Missed out? Never fear, there are other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/583384\/a-red-moon-a-blue-moon-a-supermoon-and-more-your-guide-to-the-southern-sky-in-2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">astronomical phenomenon to look forward to throughout the year<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what the view looked like from across New Zealand:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBKTM_Blood_moon_1132pm_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" alt=\"The beginning of a total lunar eclipse - taken at 11:32pm on 3 March 2026 in Hobsonville, Auckland\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\n3 March &#8211; 11:32pm: The start of the eclipse is visible to Aucklanders as one side of the moon begins to darken.<br \/>\nPhoto: RNZ\/Calvin Samuel\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBTO9_Lunar_eclipse_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"591\" alt=\"Photo taken at start of total lunar eclipse - 9.37pm in Omarama over the Benmore Ranges in the South Island.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nA photo taken at 9.37pm in Omarama over the Benmore Ranges in the South Island.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Fiona Chamberlain\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBKTM_Blood_moon_1204am_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" alt=\"A small crescent of a the moon remains visible during the total lunar eclipse - taken at 12:04am on 4 March 2026 in Hobsonville, Auckland\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\n4 March &#8211; 12:04am: red is visible to the naked eye as the moon is engulfed.<br \/>\nPhoto: RNZ\/Calvin Samuel\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBKTM_Blood_moon_1230am_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" alt=\"The eclipse is near totality at 12:32am on 4 March 2026 as seen from Hobsonville, Auckland\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\n4 March &#8211; 12:30am: The eclipse in near totality as the moon becomes a deep copper red.<br \/>\nPhoto: RNZ\/Calvin Samuel\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_c70a924a_2240_4044_b95e_922a5888fcd8_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"139\" alt=\"The moon at different stages of eclipse.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nThe moon at different stages of eclipse.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Nick McLean\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_dc2a3711_875a_4073_82fd_52e1134ea1b5_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" alt=\"As seen from Nelson.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nAs seen from Nelson.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Sonja Walker\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBQSJ_1000018591_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" alt=\"On the way to the total eclipse, as seen from Karaka in South Auckland.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nOn the way to the total eclipse, as seen from Karaka in South Auckland.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Scott Baird\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_68e5fdf0_ab19_4a16_82e4_0702803e5164_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"590\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\n<p>Photo: Supplied \/ Brent\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_1a316a59_2675_4f99_ae7a_e3fb52b39caa_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1399\" alt=\"The moon above a building in Auckland.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nThe moon above a building in Auckland.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_e8637e67_bc32_40ad_a073_742a4963cd87_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"590\" alt=\"The elipse at its max, taken from Wai-iti Dark Sky Park in Tasman.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nThe elipse at its max, taken from Wai-iti Dark Sky Park in Tasman.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Brent\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBNJZ_3355_jpg.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1394\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\n<p>Photo: Supplied \/ Alex P\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JSBF2N_bd7d706d_0215_46f3_9f54_adb9765178bc_jfif.jpeg\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1400\" alt=\"A shot taken at the University of Canterbury Students\u2019 Space Association telescope night.\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\">\nA shot taken at the University of Canterbury Students\u2019 Space Association telescope night.<br \/>\nPhoto: Supplied \/ Victoria Ding\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/radionz.us6.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=211a938dcf3e634ba2427dde9&amp;id=b3d362e693\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up for Ng\u0101 Pitopito K\u014drero<\/a>, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The elipse at its max, taken from Wai-iti Dark Sky Park in Tasman. Photo: Supplied \/ Brent Budding&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[48,47,111,43,139,69,49,46,44,45,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-311229","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-audio","9":"tag-current-affairs","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-podcasts","15":"tag-public-radio","16":"tag-radio-new-zealand","17":"tag-rnz","18":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}