A total lunar eclipse will dazzle Earth’s skies in the early morning hours on March 3, turning the moon a reddish orange hue.
During the event, Earth is positioned between the moon and sun, casting Earth’s shadow on the surface of the moon, causing it to appear a red color.
Each lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth, and this time, that half will include the United States. In North America, a partial eclipse will begin around 4 a.m. ET. Totality will start just after 6 a.m. ET, continuing for roughly an hour, according to NASA.
The phenomenon, which is sometimes called a blood moon, makes for a striking viewing experience. For those who are looking to catch a glimpse of the eclipse on camera, here’s what to know.
More: How to view the 2026 ‘Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse
How to take photos of the moon during lunar eclipse
The best way to take a photo of the moon is with a digital camera. According to NASA, here are a few tips to keep in mind to get a good moon photo:
A total lunar eclipse is seen in Milwaukee on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 1:35 a.m., about 10 minutes past totality.
Use a tripod
By setting your camera on a tripod, you can keep it sturdy and minimize shaking. To go even further, use self-timer to capture photos instead of manually pressing the shutter button.
Adjust camera settings
Though it will be dark out, don’t use low-light settings on your camera. Instead, set your camera’s white balance for daylight and try a fast shutter speed with a smaller aperture. Since the moonlight is reflecting sunlight, using camera settings for daylight conditions will show the moon’s features more clearly.
Zoom in
The moon looks bigger to the eye than it does in photographs, so be sure to zoom in.
How to take photos of the total lunar eclipse on your phone
For most people, a smartphone will be the easiest tool to use for the eclipse.
Todd Vorenkamp, a photographer and instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design with experience capturing eclipse photos, said the red color of the moon will likely appear brighter in photos than to the naked eye.
Here are a few tips Vorenkamp shared for smartphone photographers:
Adjust exposure
Phone cameras average the different lights in the frame, so the moon will appear as a bright spot when the surrounding area is dark. To counteract this, tap on the screen of your phone to adjust the focus of the camera. On iPhones, you can also manually turn up and down the brightness by tapping on the screen.
Zoom in
Most smartphone cameras are wide-angle, so zoom in to ensure the moon doesn’t appear very small in the frame.
Experiment with night mode
Night mode is a setting that should be available on many smartphone cameras. In a basic sense, this setting increases the sensitivity of the camera when shooting at night. It may help take pictures of the moon.
Don’t worry if you don’t get the best photo
Although smartphones are an easy tool for capturing the moment, a digital camera is ultimately going to do a better job, so Vorenkamp said not to worry if your pictures don’t come out perfectly.
“Enjoy the experience, look with your own eyes and don’t sweat getting the most epic photograph because there’s a bunch of pros that are going to be out there and taking that epic photo and putting it on Instagram for you to look at later,” Vorenkamp said.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to get a photo of the blood moon with your digital camera or phone