Tuesday there will be a total lunar eclipse around the world

Skywatchers on four continents will get the chance to catch the last one next week total lunar eclipse for three years.

The solar eclipse will take place on Tuesday, with the moon turns blood red as it slides into the shadows of the earth. The heavenly show will be visible to viewers in North and Central America, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and parts of South America.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon, Earth, and Sun align and the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow. Total lunar eclipses are sometimes called blood moons because of the dramatic coloration caused by Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters light from the sun and sways on the moon’s surface.

After Tuesday’s solar eclipse, the next total lunar eclipse will not occur until March 14, 2025, according to NASA.

As the moon slides into Earth’s shadow, it will dim and darken before taking on a reddish hue. In the United States, the period known as totality — when the moon is completely engulfed in Earth’s shadow — will be visible for nearly an hour and a half.

The moon will enter the outer portion of Earth’s shadow at 3:02 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. As the partial eclipse progresses, it will appear as if a bite is being taken from the lunar disk, according to NASA.

Totality lasts from 5:17 a.m. to 6:42 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. During this time, the moon will be copper-red in color.

Weather permitting, people in Hawaii and Alaska will have the chance to see every stage of the skywatching show as it unfolds.

unlike with solar eclipses, a lunar eclipse can be safely viewed with the naked eye. Skywatchers can even use binoculars and telescopes for more dramatic views.

“If you want to take a picture, use a camera on a tripod with an exposure time of at least a few seconds,” NASA officials say.

While the next total lunar eclipse won’t happen until March 2025, a so-called penumbral lunar eclipse — when Earth’s faint outer shadow falls on the moon’s face — will occur in May next year, followed by a partial lunar eclipse in October 2023.