Rare “Blood Moon” Total Lunar Eclipse Over SF

David Yu via Flickr

Thanks to an optical illusion in the sky, the moon will appear bigger and brighter than normal in the San Francisco Bay Area in the night, during what astronomers call a “supermoon.”

Because the sun is about 50,000 miles closer to the earth than at its furthest point – and it’s a full or new moon – the moon will appear larger and brighter than most full moons. To be considered a supermoon, it has to be within 224,851 miles (361,863 kilometers) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth.

The best time to observe the supermoon is when the moon is near the horizon during either moonrise or moonset, thanks to having objects in the foreground (like buildings or trees) to provide reference points for estimating the moon’s size.

2026 Supermoons

Thanks to EarthSky for sharing the details of the 2026’s supermoons and NASA for the 2026 Eclipse information.

January 3 – The Moon will be directly opposite the Sun with its face fully illuminated, making it a full Wolf Moon that appears slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon because it is near its closest point to Earth in its orbit. This is the first of three supermoons in 2026. Full Moon at ~2:02 a.m. PST in San Francisco.

November 24 – Known as the Beaver Moon, this full moon will occur when the Moon is near perigee, so it may appear a bit larger and brighter than usual. In traditional naming, early tribes associated the Beaver Moon with setting winter traps as waters froze. Full Moon at ~6:53 a.m. PST.

December 23 – Sometimes called the Cold Moon, this late-year supermoon will be the closest and brightest full moon of 2026, appearing noticeably large and luminous in the night sky. This is the final supermoon of the year. Full Moon at ~5:28 p.m. PST.

Read more about Supermoons at Earthsky.

2026 Lunar Eclipses

March 3 – Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)

• What: The Moon fully enters Earth’s shadow and may appear reddish.
• Visibility: Visible from San Francisco in early morning hours (timing local to PST).
  • Totality begins: around 3:04 a.m. PST
  • Totality ends: around 4:02 a.m. PST
• Why Watch: One of the year’s most dramatic lunar events. This eclipse will be the last total lunar eclipse until late 2028.