Were you up before the crack of dawn to see this morning’s total lunar eclipse?
If not, you’ll have to wait awhile before the next one, but it’ll be a special one.
There’s nothing like combining a total lunar eclipse with a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Unfortunately for Florida residents, it won’t be visible here. You’ll have to wait even longer for one visible over Florida.
Here’s what you should know.
When was total lunar eclipse?
The only total lunar eclipse of 2026 happened early this morning, March 3.
For Florida residents, the event started at 3:44 a.m. ET as the Earth’s shadow starting moving across the surface of the moon.
Maximum totality, with the moon centered in the Earth’s shadow, was about 6:33 a.m. ET, which was close to sunrise, making the moon difficult to see as it dipped below the horizon.
When is the next total lunar eclipse?
The next total lunar eclipse won’t happen until New Year’s Eve 2028.
If you want to see this one, better start making some trip plans.
It will be visible in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and Alaska, according to space.com.
Will be next total lunar eclipse visible in Florida?
If you missed this morning’s total lunar eclipse and don’t want to travel to see the New Year’s Eve eclipse in December 2028, you’ll have to wait another year for the next two blood moons visible in North America, with the best opportunity from Florida being the one in June 2029.
Here’s what will happen in 2029:
Partial eclipse will be visible in Florida in August 2026
A partial eclipse will be visible across Florida Aug. 27, lasting more than five hours, according to timeanddate.com.
During this partial lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow will not cover the entire moon. However, a large percentage — more than 90% in Florida — will be in darkness.
When will partial lunar eclipse be visible in Florida?
The partial lunar eclipse will begin at 9:23 p.m. EDT Aug. 27 and end at 3:01 a.m. Aug. 28. Maximum coverage will be shortly after midnight.
Florida residents can expect to see about 93% of the moon to be in the Earth’s shadow, according to timeanddate.com.
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Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://heraldtribune.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida residents will have to wait years for next total lunar eclipse
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
