Newark, New Jersey – Garden State residents should mark March 3 now, when a rare 58-minute Blood Moon will unfold from 6:04 to 7:03 a.m., delivering New Jersey’s last visible total lunar eclipse until 2028.
According to NASA eclipse timing data, totality begins at 6:04 a.m. Eastern Time on March 3 and peaks at 6:33 a.m., when the Moon turns deep red inside Earth’s shadow. The Moon will sit low along the western horizon and may set during totality, particularly across eastern New Jersey, narrowing the viewing window as dawn light increases.
In Newark and Jersey City, west-facing views along the Passaic River or open sightlines toward the Hudson River can improve visibility above buildings. Trenton residents should seek open fields or elevated areas away from downtown lighting. Along the Jersey Shore, towns from Long Branch to Atlantic City will need an unobstructed western horizon over inland views to catch the eclipse before sunrise. Darker skies in Sussex County and the Delaware Water Gap may offer some of the clearest statewide conditions.
The partial eclipse begins around 5:04 a.m., giving early risers nearly an hour to watch Earth’s shadow steadily cover the Moon before totality. No eclipse glasses are required, and binoculars can enhance subtle color variation across the lunar surface.
Cloud cover could interfere, so checking local weather conditions on March 2 is essential. Once the Moon dips below the horizon the morning of March 3, New Jersey will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this early-morning event worth planning for now.
