Last lunar eclipse for three years happening Tuesday
The world will get a chance to see the last total lunar eclipse for three years on Tuesday, with the next not occurring until March 14, 2025.
On Election Day, a partial eclipse will begin around 4 a.m. Eastern Time, with just a part of the moon entering the Earth's umbra, or shadow.
Around 5:17 a.m. is when the total eclipse is expected to occur, with totality expected to end around 6:42 a.m. before turning back to a partial eclipse as the moon passes out of the Earth's umbra.
A total lunar eclipse is when the moon falls entirely within Earth's shadow, casting the moon in a reddish hue, often called a "blood moon" due to the refracted sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere.
Red light is caused by a wide scattering of sunlight passing through more of the planet's atmosphere, so the more clouds and dust in the air on Tuesday, the redder the moon will appear.
"It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA says of the phenomenon.
The total eclipse will be visible across North and Central America and in Ecuador, Colombia, as well as western regions of Venezuela and Peru, according to NASA.
The eclipse will also be visible in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Hawaii and Alaska will be able to see every stage of the eclipse.
NASA says viewers don't need any special equipment to view the eclipse, although they recommend binoculars or a telescope to enhance the view and color of the moon.
A dark environment away from bright lights is the best way to view.
The last total eclipse was in May, while there were two solar eclipses — when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth — this year.