A total lunar eclipse, during which the Moon will take on a dull-red hue, will be visible in Hong Kong on the evening of 3 March 2026.
The Moon rises at 6:22 pm on 3 March 2026, when part of the Moon has already entered the Earth’s umbra. The total phase of the lunar eclipse begins at 7:04 pm, when the Moon enters Earth's umbra completely, and will last approximately 59 minutes. The subsequent partial phase of the lunar eclipse will end at 9:18 pm. The next total lunar eclipse with total phase of the lunar eclipse visible from Hong Kong will occur on 1 January 2029.
|
Hong Kong Date and Time |
Moon’s Altitude (degree) |
Moon’s Azimuth (degree) |
|
|
Moon enters penumbra (P1) |
3 March, 4:43 pm |
Below the horizon |
– |
|
Moon enters umbra (U1) |
3 March, 5:50 pm |
Below the horizon |
– |
|
Total eclipse begins (U2) |
3 March, 7:04 pm |
9 |
87 |
|
Maximum eclipse (M) |
3 March, 7:34 pm |
15 |
90 |
|
Total eclipse ends (U3) |
3 March, 8:03 pm |
22 |
93 |
|
Moon exits umbra (U4) |
3 March, 9:18 pm |
38 |
101 |
|
Moon exits penumbra (P4) |
3 March, 10:25 pm |
53 |
112 |
In addition to observing a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, we can use cameras to capture the spectacular moment. Following the instructions below, you can take stunning pictures with just your phone!
Step 1: Preparation before the lunar eclipse
- Tripod for smartphone: To stabilise your phone and prevent blurry images caused by hand shake.
- Telephoto lens attachment: Attaching it to your phone's camera significantly increases magnification, enabling clear shots of the Moon. (Prices typically range from a few hundred to a thousand dollars.)
- Photography apps: Numerous applications are available on mobile app stores, which allow manual adjustments to settings such as shutter speed and exposure time.
- Remote shutter: To avoid shaking the phone when pressing the shutter button.
- Telescope: If you own an astronomical telescope, you can position your phone's lens over the eyepiece for direct shots of the Moon.
Step 2: Tips for taking photos of the lunar eclipse
- Monitor the weather forecast: Pay close attention to the weather conditions on the day of the lunar eclipse. Cloudy skies may obstruct the observation. Avoid going outdoors in case of poor weather conditions.
- Use the RAW photo format: Certain smartphone models offer the option to capture unprocessed, uncompressed RAW photos, (e.g., ProRAW format on iPhones), which are ideal for post-processing.
- Avoid using digital zoom: The digital zoom function in the smartphones crops and enlarges the images, lowering their quality. Using a telephoto lens is recommended instead.