A total lunar eclipse is coming. What to know about the 'blood moon'

In the early morning hours of March 3, a totallunar eclipsewill pass over the United States.

The "blood moon" eclipse will cause the moon to exhibit a reddish hue, according toNASA. It will be visible in parts of the world beginning in the evening and going into the early morning, NASA said.

Here's everything to know about the phenomenon as it approaches.

See stunning images of the 2025 'Blood Moon' and total lunar eclipse

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, creating a shadow across the lunar surface, which turns the moon's color reddish-orange. Our planet blocks most of the sun's light from reaching the moon, but the Earth's movement during the eclipse will cause the natural satellite to develop a color.

The moon typically exhibits a grey color because light that reaches the lunar surface is often filtered through Earth's atmosphere.

It's only possible to observe an eclipse during a full moon phase, according to NASA. An eclipse can be observed from anywhere with a direct view of the natural satellite.

Where will the eclipse be visible?

The eclipse will be visible in eastern Asia and Australia in the evening and throughout the night in the Pacific. In the early morning, it will be visible in North and Central America, in addition to far western South America, NASA has said.

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In central Asia and much of South America, the eclipse will only be partially visible. There will be no visibility in Africa or Europe.

What time will the eclipse be visible?

Stargazers can observe the eclipse on March 3 from 4 a.m. EST to around 7 a.m. EST, while a partial eclipse will continue until roughly 9 a.m. EST.

Anyone seeking more information on how to view the eclipse, stars and planets can visit NASA'sWhat's Up guide. Binoculars or a telescope are recommended for enhanced views, as is watching the eclipse from a dark environment away from bright lights.

What else is visible during an eclipse?

More:How to view the 2026 'Blood Moon' total lunar eclipse

An eclipse can also make stars and constellations more visible. During the upcoming eclipse, the moon will be in the constellation Leo under the lion's hind paws, according toNASA.

Venus and Saturn will also appear closer to each other in the night sky on March 8.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Total lunar eclipse is days away. What to know about the 'blood moon'

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

A total lunar eclipse is coming. What to know about the 'blood moon'

In the early morning hours of March 3, a totallunar eclipsewill pass over the United States. The "blood m...

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Afghanistan says it thwarted a Pakistani airstrike attempt on Bagram Air Base

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said Sunday it had thwarted attempted airstrikes on Bagram Air Base, the former U.S. military base north of Kabul, whilecross-border fightingbetween Pakistan and Afghanistan stretched into a fourth day.

APTOPIX Pakistan Afghanistan

The fighting has been the most severe between the neighbors for years, with Pakistan declaring it is in"open war"with Afghanistan. The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant groups, including al-Qaida andthe Islamic State group, still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militant groups that stage attacks against it and also of allying with its archrival India.Border clashes in Octoberkilled dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants until aQatari-mediated ceasefireended the intense fighting. But several rounds of peace talks in Turkey in November failed to produce a lasting agreement, and the two sides have occasionally traded fire since then.

On Sunday, the police headquarters of Parwan province, where Bagram is located, said in a statement that several Pakistani military jets had entered Afghan airspace "and attempted to bomb Bagram Air Base" at around 5 a.m. The statement said Afghan forces responded with "anti-aircraft and missile defense systems" and had managed to thwart the attack.

There was no immediate response to the claim from Pakistan.

Bagram was the United States' largest military base in Afghanistan. It was taken over by the Taliban as they swept across the country and took control in the wake of thechaotic U.S. withdrawalfrom the country in 2021. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trumpsuggested he wanted to reestablisha U.S. presence at the base.

The current fighting began when Afghanistan launcheda broad cross-border attackThursday night, saying it was in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday.

Pakistan had said its airstrike had targeted the outlawed Pakistani Taliban,or TTP. Afghanistan had said only civilians were killed.

The TTP militant group, which is separate but closely allied with Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, operates inside Pakistan, where it has been blamed for hundreds of deaths in bombings and other attacks over the years. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of providing a safe haven within Afghanistan for the TTP, an accusation Afghanistan denies.

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After Thursday's Afghan attack,Pakistani Defense MinisterKhawaja Mohammad Asif declared that "our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us."

In the ongoing fighting,each side claims to have killed hundredsof the other side's forces — and each side puts its own casualties at drastically lower numbers.

Afghan officials said fighting had continued overnight and into Sunday in the border areas.

The police command spokesman for Nangarhar province, Said Tayyeb Hammad, said anti-aircraft missiles were used from the provincial capital of Jalalabad and surrounding areas on Pakistani fighter jets flying overhead Sunday morning.

Defense Ministry spokesman Enayatulah Khowarazmi said Afghan forces had launched counterattacks with snipers across the border from Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost and Kandahar provinces overnight. He claimed two Pakistani drones had been shot down and dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been killed.

Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Pakistani drone attacks hit civilian homes in Nangarhar province late Saturday night, killing a woman and a child, while a mortar killed another civilian when it hit a home in Paktia province.

There was no immediate response to the claims from Pakistani officials.

Becatoros contributed from Athens, Greece.

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Afghanistan says it thwarted a Pakistani airstrike attempt on Bagram Air Base

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said Sunday it had thwarted attempted airstrikes on Bagram Air Base, the former U.S...

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US wins the Sydney leg of Sail GP, showing its class in light winds

SYDNEY (AP) — The United States showed its mastery of light conditions by winning the Sydney leg of the SailGP series Sunday, beating Britain and Spain in a three boat final.

Australia SailGP

Racing took place in winds of between 8 and 15 knots (9 to 17 mph) and the United States looked in its element, clearly beating Britain for its first win of the season.

Driver Taylor Canfield positioned the United States at the top end of the starting line in the final and, while Britain crossed slightly ahead, the USA was faster and had a better angle. Britain was just ahead at the first mark but the United States again had better speed and took a lead which it didn't concede for the rest of the race.

Britain split away on the second leg, looking for better wind. But the tactic didn't work and the United States positioned itself well to cement its advantage.

First win in two seasons

While the United States achieved a best speed of the day of around 41 knots, it only managed to stay on its foils for 22 percent of the finals. The win was its first in two seasons, since Cadiz in season four.

SailGP features 13 identical 50 foot catamarans which rise out of the water on foils and can attain high speeds. In the previous event of the series in Auckland, New Zealand strong winds saw boats achieve speeds of around 100kmh (60mph).

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Only 11 boats were able to contest the Sydney event. France and New Zealand are still undergoing repairs after colliding in Auckland ina crashwhich sent a crewperson from both teams to hospital. New Zealand sailor Louis Sinclair suffered compund fractures to both legs and French strategist Manon Audinet suffered chest injuries.

Britain won the first of three fleet races Sunday. The United States won the second race and Denmark won the third.

TheBritish team won the first eventof the sixth SailGP season in Perth, Australia and Australia's Flying Roos won the Auckland event.

After three events, Britain leads the overall standings with 29 points from Australia with 25 and the USA with 20.

AP sports:https://apnews.com/sports

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

US wins the Sydney leg of Sail GP, showing its class in light winds

SYDNEY (AP) — The United States showed its mastery of light conditions by winning the Sydney leg of the SailGP series Sun...

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At least 6 killed as Shiites storm US Consulate in Pakistan over killing of Iran's supreme leader

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — At least six people were killed and about a dozen were wounded in violent clashes with police and paramilitary forces Sunday after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, authorities said.

APTOPIX Pakistan Iran US Israel

The violence came hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police and officials at a hospital in Karachi said at least eight people were also wounded in the clashes.

Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city's main government hospital, confirmed that six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility. Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province and Pakistan's largest city.

Senior police official Irfan Baloch said protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate but were later dispersed. "The situation is now fully under our control," Baloch said.

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He dismissed as baseless reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control.

Witnesses said dozens of Shiite protesters remained gathered about a kilometer (half a mile) from the consulate, urging others to join them. Shiites make up roughly 15% of Pakistan's population of about 250 million and represent one of the largest Shiite communities in the world. They have frequently staged anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rallies in the past, though clashes of this scale are rare.

Shiites also held a rally near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, police said. Faisal Kamran, a senior police official, said demonstrators tried to protest outside the consulate but were not allowed. Police dispersed the crowd when they tried to march toward the building, he said.

Associated Press writers Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

At least 6 killed as Shiites storm US Consulate in Pakistan over killing of Iran's supreme leader

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — At least six people were killed and about a dozen were wounded in violent clashes with police an...

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Protests break out in Pakistan, Iraq over Khamenei's death

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 1 (Reuters) - Pakistani police fired tear gas on Sunday to scatter protesters who breached the outer wall ‌of the U.S. consulate in the southern city of Karachi ‌following news of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ​Khamenei.

Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite armed groups gather after the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Baghdad

Pro-Iranian protesters also gathered outside the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, where the U.S. Embassy is located.

In Karachi, protesters had been pushed back from the consulate, a spokesman for the local government said. A ‌Reuters reporter heard sounds ⁠of gunfire and video footage from the scenes showed burning vehicles outside the consulate's main gate.

No casualties were reported ⁠in the clashes. U.S. diplomats in the consulate were not immediately available for comment.

Large protests also broke out in other parts of Pakistan.

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Protesters set ​fire to ​a United Nations office building in ​Pakistan's northern city of Skardu, ‌in the normally peaceful Shia-majority Gilgit Baltistan region known for its Himalayan peaks popular with tourists.

"A large number of protesters have gathered outside the UN office in GB and burned down the building," local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir told Reuters, adding no casualties had been reported.

Crowds ‌had gathered earlier in the day to ​protest Khamenei's death.

In the central city of ​Lahore, hundreds of protesters gathered ​outside the U.S. consulate but there were no reports ‌of violence.

"Some of the protestors tried ​to damage the ​security gate, hundreds of yards away for the Consulate, however, police stopped them without use of force," Aqeel Raza, an eyewitness, ​told Reuters.

(Reporting by Akhtar ‌Soomro and Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar ​and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing ​by Clarence Fernandez and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Protests break out in Pakistan, Iraq over Khamenei's death

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 1 (Reuters) - Pakistani police fired tear gas on Sunday to scatter protesters who breached the o...

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