'Blood Moon' Total Lunar Eclipse Visible in Illinois in March

If Mother Nature cooperates, Chicago could be in for a pretty incredible early morning show next month in the sky!

The next "blood moon," also known as a total lunar eclipse, is set to unfold in the early hours of Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. This one comes with a RARE TWIST! Not only will the moon turn red, but the eclipse will still be happening as the moon sets in the west and the sun rises in the east. That overlap is what makes this one especially cool for skywatchers in Chicago.

So what exactly is a Lunar Eclipse?

Lunar eclipses occur at the full Moon phase. When Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun, Earth’s shadow falls upon the surface of the Moon, dimming it and sometimes turning the lunar surface a striking red over the course of a few hours. Each lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth. [NASA]

The reddish color happens because sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere and bends, filtering out other colors and leaving behind that deep red hue, similar to the colors you see during a dramatic sunset. The filtered light reflects off the moon and back down to us. How cool?!

When “Blood Moon” Total Solar Eclipse Could Be Visible in Illinois Next Month

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Here's the breakdown of when you can start catching a glimpse of the Blood Moon:

Partial eclipse begins at 3:50AM
Total eclipse begins at 5:04AM
Peak eclipse begins at 5:33AM
Total eclipse ends at 6:02AM
Moon sets at 6:24AM
Partial eclipse ends at 7:17AM

The best viewing window will be between 5am and 6am, when the moon is low in the western sky. Fun fact: when the moon is low on the horizon, it appears larger thanks to an optical illusion, meaning this could look even more dramatic.

Oh, the best part? No telescope or special glasses needed! JUST LOOK UP!

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Illinois using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.