St. Louis, Missouri – Missourians 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 Missouri, narrowing the viewing window as sunrise approaches.
In St. Louis, west-facing views along the Mississippi River or open areas in Forest Park away from downtown lighting will improve visibility. Kansas City residents should seek parks or open farmland west of the metro for a clear horizon. In Columbia and Springfield, darker skies outside city limits enhance contrast, while elevated terrain in the Ozarks offers sweeping western views 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, Missouri will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this pre-sunrise event worth planning for now.
