Birmingham, Alabama – Alabamians should mark March 3 now, when a rare 58-minute Blood Moon will unfold from 5:04 to 6:03 a.m. Central Time, delivering the state’s last visible total lunar eclipse until 2028.
According to NASA eclipse timing data, totality begins at 5:04 a.m. CT on March 3 and peaks at 5:33 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, especially across eastern Alabama, narrowing the viewing window as sunrise approaches.
In Birmingham, west-facing overlooks at Red Mountain Park or open areas away from downtown lighting offer clearer sightlines. Huntsville residents can seek darker skies west of the city near Monte Sano’s lower elevations. In Montgomery and Auburn, open fields with an unobstructed western horizon will improve visibility, while Mobile and Gulf Coast communities should look inland away from coastal light glare to catch the eclipse before dawn brightens the sky.
The partial eclipse begins around 4:04 a.m. CT, 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 surface detail and deepen the copper-red hues.
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, Alabama will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this pre-sunrise event worth planning for now.
