Eclipses 2026 · March
Total Lunar Eclipse of 3 March 2026: Timings and Visibility in India
The total lunar eclipse of 3 March 2026 fell on Phalguna Purnima. Totality ran from 4:34 PM to 5:33 PM IST, before the Moon had risen in most of India, so India saw only the final partial phase at moonrise — the eclipse ended at 6:47 PM IST. Because part of it was visible, sutak applied in India.
What were the timings of the 3 March 2026 lunar eclipse?
The total lunar eclipse took place on the evening of Tuesday 3 March 2026, on Phalguna Purnima. Contact times are the same everywhere; in IST:
| Phase | Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Penumbral phase begins | 2:12 PM |
| Partial (umbral) phase begins | 3:19 PM |
| Totality begins | 4:34 PM |
| Greatest eclipse | 5:04 PM |
| Totality ends | 5:33 PM |
| Partial phase ends | 6:47 PM |
| Penumbral phase ends | 7:54 PM |
Times computed from the Sun and Moon positions (python ephem) and checked against the published eclipse circumstances; they agree to the minute.
Was it visible in India?
Only partly. Totality ended at 5:33 PM IST, before the Moon had risen in most of India, so the country saw the eclipse’s final partial phase low in the east at moonrise. The further east the city, the more it caught:
| City | Moonrise (IST) | What could be seen |
|---|---|---|
| Guwahati | 5:23 PM | the last ten minutes of totality, then the partial phase |
| Kolkata | 5:39 PM | the partial phase after totality |
| Chennai | 6:17 PM | about half an hour of the partial phase |
| Delhi | 6:22 PM | the last 25 minutes of the partial phase |
| Mumbai | 6:45 PM | only the final minutes of the partial phase |
Because part of the eclipse was visible, the classical sutak applied in India; the eclipse’s full totality was seen from East Asia, Australia, the Pacific and the Americas.
Why does the Moon turn copper-red?
At a total lunar eclipse the Earth stands between the Sun and the full Moon, and the Moon passes through Earth’s inner shadow, the umbra. It does not vanish: sunlight bent through Earth’s atmosphere, with its blue light scattered away, reaches the Moon and colours it copper-red. Unlike a solar eclipse it is safe to watch with the naked eye.
How did it affect Holi 2026?
The eclipse fell on Phalguna Purnima, the full Moon of Holi. Local panchangs timed Holika Dahan around the grahan and its sutak, and Holi with colours followed on Wednesday 4 March 2026. In Jyotish an eclipse at the Purnima is read as a shadow over the Moon — the mind — so the eclipse hours are given to japa, and those with the natal Moon or Lagna near the eclipse degree in Simha are advised to keep the period quiet.
Frequently asked questions
Was the 3 March 2026 lunar eclipse visible in India?
Only its end. The Moon rose in India after totality for most cities, so what India saw was the final partial phase at moonrise — Guwahati caught the last minutes of totality, Delhi about 25 minutes of the partial phase before it ended at 6:47 PM IST. Because part of the eclipse was visible, sutak applied in India.
What were the timings of the 3 March 2026 lunar eclipse?
The partial phase began at 3:19 PM IST, totality ran from 4:34 PM to 5:33 PM with greatest eclipse at 5:04 PM, and the partial phase ended at 6:47 PM IST.
Why does the Moon turn red in a total lunar eclipse?
Sunlight bent through Earth’s atmosphere — with its blue light scattered away — reaches the shadowed Moon and colours it copper-red. A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with the naked eye.
Did the eclipse affect Holi 2026?
The eclipse fell on Phalguna Purnima, 3 March 2026. Holika Dahan was timed around the grahan by local panchangs, and Holi with colours followed on 4 March.
When is the next lunar eclipse visible in India?
The next total lunar eclipse is on 31 December 2028; the partial lunar eclipse of 6 July 2028 also falls in the Indian night. See the full list on the grahan dates page.
Continue exploring: the full grahan framework, or the season's pair — February's invisible ring of fire.
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