Photos: The total lunar eclipse creates a “blood moon” in the Bay Area

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View of the total lunar eclipse as seen from Martinez, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Photo was taken 3:04 am with a 560mm lens using a tripod on 3200 ISO with an aperture of 5.6 and a shutter of 1/6th of a second. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Early Tuesday, at 3:05 a.m. Pacific time, the March full moon turned a dark red as a total lunar eclipse unfolded, lasting for about an hour and peaking at 3:33 a.m.

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Anyone willing to be up for the early-morning event witnessed the moon’s deep reddish-orange glow as the Earth passed directly between the sun and moon, casting a gigantic shadow across the moon’s surface.

At Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, at least 100 people attended the eclipse watch party on their outdoor deck, and caught several early glimpses until the fog rolled in and obscured the main event.  To ease the disappointment, livestreams were broadcast from clear locations such as the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and the Maunakea Observatory in Hawaii.

However, people who were more inland in the East Bay were treated to a spectacular show.

The eclipse was visible across California. Another total eclipse will not be visible again in the Golden State until Oct. 8, 2033.

A full "blood moon" total eclipse begins as clouds drift by, seen from Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The next global blood moon will occur on New Year's Eve 2028. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

Moneserrat Palarica, of Albany, and Mica Mosqueda, of El Cerrito, from left, watch the full Blood Moon total eclipse at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The next global Blood Moon will occur on New Year's Eve 2028. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

The Earth casts its shadow during a total lunar eclipse, known as a "blood moon," is seen from the UC Berkeley Campanile, Berkeley, Calif., around 2;09a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Visitors watch the full Blood Moon total eclipse as it’s streamed from Hawaii, at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The next global Blood Moon will occur on New Year's Eve 2028. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

TOPSHOT - The Moon appears from behind the Tokyo Skytree during a total lunar eclipse in the middle of the night above the Japanese capital early on September 8, 2025. Stargazers enjoyed a "Blood Moon" overnight on September 7 during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swathes of Europe and Africa. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images) ***BESTPIX*** 

Visitors watch the full Blood Moon total eclipse at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The next global Blood Moon will occur on New Year's Eve 2028. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

A total lunar eclipse, known as a "blood moon," is seen from UC Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., around 3:18 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

A UC Berkeley student uses a monocular and her cellphone to capture the total lunar eclipse, known as a “blood moon,” from the UC Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Originally published at Laura A. Oda