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.

Advertisement

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'

byAdministrator

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

03:34

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...

Read More

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.

Advertisement

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.

byAdministrator

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

03:34

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...

Read More

A March Madness prelude: Men's basketball conference tournament schedule

Before theMadnessbegins, we need to crown conference champions andNCAA Tournamentautomatic bids are up for grabs.

Here's a list of themen's basketballconference tournament schedules:

Bracketology:NCAA Tournament last four in, first four out

March Madness predictions:13 teams who can win NCAA tournament

Men's college basketball conference tournament dates, schedule

Listed by start date.

Advertisement

• Horizon: March 2-10 (Indianapolis)

• Sun Belt: March 3-9 (Pensacola, Fla.)

• Patriot: March 3-11 (on campus)

• OVC: March 4-7 (Evansville, Ind.)

• ASUN: March 4-8 (Jacksonville, Fla.)

• Big South: March 4-8 (Johnson City, Tenn.)

• Summit: March 4-8 (Sioux Falls, SD)

• NEC: March 4-10 (on campus)

• MVC: March 5-8 (St. Louis)

• MAAC: March 5-10 (Atlantic City, NJ)

• WCC: March 5-10 (Las Vegas)

• SoCon: March 6-9 (Asheville, NC)

• CAA: March 6-10 (Washington DC)

• Big Sky: March 7-11 (Boise)

• America East: March 7-14 (on campus)

• Mountain West: March 7-14 (Las Vegas)

• Southland: March 8-12 (Lake Charles, La.)

• SWAC: March 9-14 (Atlanta)

• ACC: March 10-14 (Charlotte)

• Big 12: March 10-14 (Kansas City)

• Conference USA: March 10-14 (Huntsville, Ala.)

• Big Ten: March 10-15 (Chicago)

• Big East: March 11-14 (New York City)

• Big West: March 11-14 (Henderson, NV)

• MAC: March 11-14 (Cleveland)

• MEAC: March 11-14 (Norfolk, Va.)

• WAC: March 11-14 (Las Vegas)

• American: March 11-15 (Birmingham)

• Atlantic 10: March 11-15 (Pittsburgh)

• SEC: March 11-15 (Nashville)

• Ivy: March 14-15 (Ithaca, NY)

When is Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament will be unveiled on 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15.

When does March Madness start?

The first men's game of the 2026 NCAA tournament will be on March 17 with the start of the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

March Madness 2026 schedule

The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here's a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18

• First round: March 19-20

• Second round: March 21-22

• Sweet 16: March 26-27

• Elite Eight: March 28-29

• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NCAA men's basketball conference tournament schedule, dates, locations

byAdministrator

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

02:06

A March Madness prelude: Men's basketball conference tournament schedule

Before theMadnessbegins, we need to crown conference champions andNCAA Tournamentautomatic bids are up for grabs. ...

Read More

OPEC+ debates oil output boost as US war on Iran disrupts shipments

By Olesya Astakhova, Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar

LONDON/MOSCOW, March 1 (Reuters) - OPEC+ will consider a larger-than-expected oil output increase on Sunday, two OPEC+ sources said after ‌the U.S.-Israeli war on OPEC+ member Iran and Tehran's retaliation led to shipment ‌disruptions in the Middle East.

OPEC+ has a history of raising oil output to cushion disruptions but analysts said the ​group currently has very little spare capacity to meaningfully add to supply, except for its leader Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Riyadh has been raising oil production and exports in recent weeks in preparation for U.S. strikes on Iran, sources have told Reuters.

Oil, gas and other shipments ‌from the Middle East via the ⁠Strait of Hormuz have come to a halt since Saturday after shipowners received a warning from Iran saying the area was closed for navigation.

OPEC+ ⁠will debate a production hike of 411,000 barrels per day or more at a meeting on Sunday, sources told Reuters, larger than the original expectations of 137,000 bpd.

Advertisement

Oil prices jumped on Friday ​to $73 per ​barrel, the highest level since July, on fears ​of a wider conflict in the ‌Middle East and supply disruptions through Hormuz, the world's most important oil route amounting to over 20% of global oil transit.

Middle East leaders have warned Washington that a war on Iran could lead to oil prices jumping to over $100 per barrel, said veteran OPEC analyst Helima Croft from RBC. Analysts from Barclays also said prices could rise to $100.

Croft said the market impact ‌from any large OPEC output increase will be limited ​due to a lack of actual production capabilities outside ​Saudi Arabia.

The meeting on Sunday will ​start at 1100 GMT and will involve only eight members of OPEC+ - ‌Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, ​Iraq, Algeria and Oman. ​OPEC+ groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies like Russia but most production changes in the past years have been done by the eight members.

The ​eight members raised production quotas ‌by about 2.9 million bpd from April through December 2025, roughly 3% of ​global demand, before pausing increases for January to March 2026 due to seasonal ​weakness.

(Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

byAdministrator

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

01:34

OPEC+ debates oil output boost as US war on Iran disrupts shipments

By Olesya Astakhova, Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar LONDON/MOSCOW, March 1 (Reuters) - OPEC+ will consider a la...

Read More

Cliff-hanger derby caps Rugby League's return to Las Vegas in pursuit of new American fans

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rugby league's bid to crack into the U.S. sports market returned to Las Vegas on Saturday with its mission to convert Americans to thisrugged brand of footballdrawing almost 50,000 fans to Allegiant stadium.

Australia National Rugby League US

It's the third consecutive year Australia's National Rugby League has showcased the gritty sport in the entertainment capital.

How many locals showed up among the thousands of traveling fans from Australia and England on a day that saw three matches was not immediately clear, but the showcase delivered on the entertainment stakes capped by a cliffhanger between two historic rivals.

The NRL has committed until 2028 to play regular season matches in Las Vegas as part of a strategic plan to broaden an international audience for the sport and increase its sports betting revenue by playing Prime Time in the entertainment capital.

Australia has been courting the US market since 1987when it played a State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland in Long Beach.

Bulldogs in derby win

A field goal in the second period of 'golden point' extra time by Canterbury Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton decided a brutally physical encounter against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons.

Tied at 14-14 at the end of regulation and with both teams missing chances in the first period of extra time, Crichton stepped up from 20 meters (yards) to nervelessly slot home his kick to give the Bulldogs a dramatic victory.

Crichton had earlier played in winger Jacob Kiraz for Canterbury's second try after Jacob Preston had opened the scoring for Canterbury.

The Dragons twice leveled the match with a rare try by prop Emre Guler, while Setu Tu scored acrobatically in the corner for a try on his NRL debut.

Dragons half Kyle Flanagan kicked a penalty goal in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game and force extra time.

Advertisement

Knights upset Cowboys

Earlier, the Newcastle Knights stunned the North Queensland Cowboys 28-18 in the NRL season opener.

The match was in the balance at 22-18 in the last 10 minutes, before Braidon Burns was penalized for a high hit on Knights star Kalyn Ponga and was sent to the sin bin by referee Ashley Klein.

Newcastle, which finished bottom of the NRL standings last season, seized on the extra man advantage with prop forward Trey Mooney barging over to seal the win.

Newcastle raced to a 12-0 lead with tries from Greg Marzhew and Fletcher Sharpe, before the Cowboys rallied after Heilum Luki and Murray Taulagi scored to level at 12-12 at half time.

Bradman Best and Dominic Young scored a quickfire double for the Knights after the break before Taulagi's second try narrowed the deficit.

Leeds thump Hull KR

Maika Sivo scored four tries as the Leeds Rhinos thumped Hull KR 56-8 in the first match at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday featuring two English clubs.

The Rhinos stormed to a 28-0 halftime lead. Converted tries to Brodie Croft, Keenan Palasia, Ryan Hall and a double to Sivo set the tone.

Leeds maintained momentum in the second half with former Parramatta Eel Sivo scoring twice more, while Croft added a second try and Cooper Jenkins crashed over twice.

Hull's only reply came through Joe Burgess, a lone consolation after their World Club Challenge win over theBrisbane Broncoslast week.

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

byAdministrator

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

00:06

Cliff-hanger derby caps Rugby League's return to Las Vegas in pursuit of new American fans

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rugby league's bid to crack into the U.S. sports market returned to Las Vegas on Saturday with its m...

Read More