Albuquerque, New Mexico – New Mexicans should mark March 3 now, when a rare 58-minute Blood Moon will unfold from 4:04 to 5:03 a.m. Mountain Time, delivering the state’s last visible total lunar eclipse until 2028.
According to NASA eclipse timing data, totality begins at 4:04 a.m. MT on March 3 and peaks at 4:33 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, tightening the viewing window as early dawn light approaches.
In Albuquerque, west-facing overlooks along the Rio Grande or elevated terrain near the Petroglyph National Monument offer clearer sightlines away from city lighting. Santa Fe residents can seek higher ground east of town for sweeping views. In Las Cruces, open desert areas provide broad horizons, while darker skies near Farmington and the Four Corners region may offer some of the best statewide contrast.
The partial eclipse begins around 3:04 a.m. MT, 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, New Mexico will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this pre-sunrise event worth planning for now.
