Chandra Grahan Blood Moon 2026 Timings | ‘Blood Moon’ phase comes to an end, netizens share pics

Yes. It is safe to look at the lunar eclipse with the naked eye. As per an Express report, no special glasses are needed to view the eclipse, unlike a solar eclipse.

Lunar eclipses are completely safe to view because of the source and intensity of the light reaching the human eye. Unlike a solar eclipse, which involves looking directly at the sun, a lunar eclipse is simply the moon reflecting filtered light.

According to NASA, how the March 3 lunar eclipse appears will vary significantly by location.

In eastern Asia and Australia, skywatchers will see the eclipse during the evening hours, while in the Pacific region it will play out overnight. Viewers across North and Central America, as well as far western parts of South America, can expect to spot it in the early morning sky.

Because of time zone differences, each region will witness different phases of the event.

In totality, the most dramatic phase is expected to last about 58 minutes, according to Space.com. From the start of the penumbral phase to the Moon’s final exit from Earth’s shadow, the entire eclipse will stretch over roughly 5 hours and 38 minutes.

According to the former Director of the MP Birla Planetarium, Dr Debinrosad Duari, although a total lunar eclipse will occur on Tuesday, skywatchers in India will only be able to witness a partial phase as the Moon will be below the horizon during the full eclipse. " The full eclipse will mainly be visible from North America, Australia, and the Pacific," he told ANI.

Several devotees across India are flocking to temples ahead of the chandra grahan closures.

Temples across several cities, including Tirumala, Vijayawada, Yadadri New Delhi, Kanpur and Madurai will remain closed, given the upcoming celestial event. Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, Sri Kanipakam Vara Siddhi Vinayaka temple in Chittoor, Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Srisailam, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Vijayawada, Yadagirigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Yadadri and Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple in Vemulawada, among other temple to be closed in the afternoon.

Temples opened at 3 AM, while others closed at 7 AM. The darshans will reopen after the eclipse, till 11 PM for bhog arti and other rituals.

A lunar eclipse can appear in three forms, penumbral, partial, or total, depending on how deeply the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow. During a penumbral eclipse, the Moon only dims slightly, and the change can be so subtle that many people barely notice it. A partial eclipse is more obvious, as a distinct dark “bite” becomes visible on the Moon’s surface. The most dramatic is a total lunar eclipse, when the entire Moon takes on a reddish hue because sunlight bends through Earth’s atmosphere and falls on the lunar surface.

The March 3, 2026 event is particularly noteworthy because its exact alignment and visibility will determine how clearly it can be observed in India. For skywatchers, and for those who follow Chandra Grahan traditions, precise timing will be key.

Chandra Grahan, on the Hindu festival of colours of Holi, is a rare celestial event, which has come after nearly 100 years. It comes 20 days after the solar eclipse of 2026, which coincided with the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse.

While Holi is a joyous time of celebration, an eclipse brings with it a period of sutak, an inauspicious time to stop major rituals. However, the lunar eclipse will end with the blood moon fading away at 6:47 PM IST in India.