A total lunar eclipse will be visible in the Western Hemisphere overnight Thursday, with the best views in North America and South America.

Skywatchers in Africa and parts of Europe may also be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, the moon and the sun line up and the Earth’s shadow blocks, or eclipses, the moon.

The moon will look like a coppery red ball in the sky, a phenomenon known as the blood moon. The moon’s color is the result of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere.

Skywatchers won’t need any special equipment, glasses or gadgets to see the eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope could provide a better view.

"As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it," Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, told The Associated Press.

In North America, peak viewing time will be at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) March 14. That’s when the Earth’s deepest, darkest shadow – the umbra – will cover the moon. The moon is expected to be totally obscured for 65 minutes, although the eclipse will last for about six hours in its entirety.

Check here for where and when the blood moon will be visible in different parts of the hemisphere.

The last total lunar eclipse occurred in 2022, but the world won’t have to wait long for the next one. A total lunar eclipse will happen overnight this September 7 and 8 and will be visible across Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.

A partial eclipse will occur later this month, on March 29.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.

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