A total lunar eclipse occurred on March 3, 2026, and was visible across North America. Fortunately, the skies were clear over northern Arizona allowing us to watch the entire event. The timing wasn’t optimal as it occurred in the early morning hours before sunrise. On the other hand, the timing kept the crowds away.

From Wikipedia:

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s near side entirely passes into the Earth’s umbral shadow. A lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours…

I decided to photograph the eclipse using a star tracker so that the camera would follow the stars across the sky as the event unfolded. Because the Moon is moving from west-to-east as it moves around Earth the lunar disk would move across the image. After the event, I could stack multiple images showing the different phases of the eclipse and the Moon’s location relative to the umbral shadow.

The next total lunar eclipse visible from Arizona will occur June 25, 202–but the eclipse will already be in progress when the Moon rises above the eastern horizon. Maximum totality should be visible although it will still be Nautical Twilight and the eastern sky should be dark enough to see the lunar disk. A good idea for the 2029 eclipse will be line up the Moon with some interesting foregrounds. I think I have plenty of time to plan this.