March 2026 skywatching: lunar eclipse, Venus–Saturn conjunction, and vernal equinox.

A total lunar eclipse on March 3 will turn the Moon red and will be visible across parts of eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and much of the Americas; Venus and Saturn appear about one degree apart in the evening sky on March 8.

March brings three widely noted sky events: a total lunar eclipse on March 3, a close pairing of Venus and Saturn on March 8, and the vernal equinox on March 20. A lunar eclipse happens at full Moon when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon. When alignment is complete, the Moon can take on an orange-reddish hue because sunlight is scattered through Earth’s atmosphere. The other dates mark a visible conjunction of two bright planets and the astronomical start of a new season. Key observations: - Total lunar eclipse (March 3): the Moon will be fully within Earth’s shadow and appear orange-reddish during totality. - Eclipse visibility: evening viewers in eastern Asia and Australia, night viewers over the Pacific, and early-morning viewers across most of North and Central America and western South America. - Venus–Saturn conjunction (March 8): the planets will appear about one degree apart in the western sky just after sunset. - Vernal equinox (March 20): astronomically defined as the Sun crossing above Earth’s equator from south to north, producing roughly equal day and night in both hemispheres. Summary: These scheduled events change how familiar objects appear in the night and daytime sky during March and mark a seasonal transition on March 20. Undetermined at this time.