This combination of Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 photos shows the different stages of the moon during a lunar eclipse as seen from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Night owls and early risers in North America will be able to watch a rare celestial show on Tuesday as Earth's shadow falls across the moon, shifting its color from bright orange to blood red to brown, depending on local weather conditions.
The lunar eclipse will unfold over three hours beginning at 1:58 a.m. EDT when the moon begins moving into Earth's shadow. A little more than an hour later, the moon will be fully eclipsed and shrouded in a red glow.
The celestial show will be over by 5:33 a.m., according to astronomers at the University of Texas's McDonald Observatory.
Eclipses occurs two or three times per year when the sun, Earth and the full moon line up so that the moon passes through Earth's shadow.
Tuesday's eclipse will be the last full lunar eclipse visible from the United States until 2019, NASA said.
Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible from most of the country, with the exception of New England and Alaska.
Alaskans can get a view of the moon rising already partly eclipsed. From New England, the moon sets before the eclipse ends.
NASA plans live coverage of the eclipse on NASA TV, the NASA.gov website and on its social media accounts. Coverage will begin at 2 a.m. EDT.
© Thomson Reuters 2014