Charleston, South Carolina – South Carolinians should mark March 3 now, when a rare 58-minute Blood Moon will unfold from 6:04 to 7:03 a.m., delivering the state’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, especially across the coastal Lowcountry, narrowing the viewing window as sunrise approaches.
In Charleston, west-facing areas along the Ashley River or elevated spots away from downtown lighting offer clearer sightlines. Columbia residents can use open areas near Lake Murray for darker skies. In Greenville and the Upstate, higher elevations along the Blue Ridge foothills provide broader western views, while Myrtle Beach viewers will need an unobstructed inland horizon to catch the eclipse before dawn brightens the coast.
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 color contrast and surface detail.
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, South Carolina will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028 — making this pre-sunrise event worth planning for now.
