Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansans 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 Arkansas, narrowing the viewing window as sunrise approaches.
In Little Rock, west-facing overlooks along the Arkansas River Trail or Pinnacle Mountain State Park offer clearer sightlines away from city lighting. Fayetteville and the Ozarks provide elevated terrain and darker skies for stronger contrast. In Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley, open rural areas improve visibility, while Jonesboro and Delta communities should seek unobstructed western horizons away from highway glare.
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, Arkansas will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this pre-sunrise event worth planning for now.
