Watch the ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse on March 3 with these free livestreams

Stargazers across the U.S. will be treated to a dramatic orbital display in the early hours of March 3, as Earth’s shadow falls across its natural satellite, giving rise to a“blood moon” total lunar eclipse.

Over 3.3 billion people across the Americas, Asia and Oceania will get a glimpse of the climactic blood moon phase, as the lunar disk — fully immersed in Earth‘s inner shadow — is bathed in sunlight filtered by our atmosphere, turning it a coppery red hue.

If your view of the eclipse is ruined by your location or the weather, there’s no need to despair! Read on to discover how to watch the entire event online from the comfort of your home, courtesy of a trio of free YouTube livestreams providing real-time views from the U.S., Canada and Australia. You can also stay up to date by following along with our total lunar eclipse live blog!

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Time and Date

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Time and Date will host live coverage of the March 3 total lunar eclipse on its YouTube channel, starting at 4:30 a.m. EST (0930 GMT). The stream will feature live views from Los Angeles, Western Australia and potentially more, with expert commentary provided by journalist Anne Buckle and astrophysicist Graham Jones.

Virtual Telescope Project

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The Virtual Telescope Project will host a livestream of its own, providing a global perspective of the eclipse starting at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT), with live views coming from a team of astrophotographers in Australia, the United States and Canada. Gianluca Masi, the organization’s founder, will provide live commentary.

Griffith Observatory

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Our final livestream comes courtesy of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, which will stream views of the eclipse on its YouTube channel beginning at 3:37 a.m. EST (0837 GMT). From its vantage point on the west coast of America, the observatory will be perfectly positioned to provide coverage throughout the eclipse, running from the penumbral phase through totality and beyond, as Earth’s shadow retreats from the lunar disk.

Photographers hoping to immortalize their own views of the blood moon should read our expert’s guide to capturing a total lunar eclipse, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.

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Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your blood moon photos with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.