This year’s total lunar eclipse will be the last until 2028!

On March 3rd, 2026, a total lunar eclipse occurred. An eclipse like that won’t happen until New Year’s Eve, 2028. umbral eclipses, they will not be complete eclipses.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. This causes the Moon to darken. Because of the Moon’s tilted orbit, total lunar eclipses are rare. Most of the time, only a small amount of the Moon will cross into the umbra, making partial and penumbral eclipses much more common.

There are three types of lunar eclipses. The first is a total eclipse. This is when the entire Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. Light scattering in the atmosphere creates the distinct red hue of a blood moon. The second type is a partial eclipse, which happens when only part of the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. Most of the moon will dim, but only a small amount, or ‘bite’, will be red. The final and most common type is a penumbral eclipse. Here, Moon passes into the Earth’s penumbra instead of the umbra. The penumbra is the outer rim of a shadow, which causes the Moon to dim a bit, but doesn’t cause the red color.