How to watch the 'blood moon' lunar eclipse

The moon has big Friday night plans. Tonight, a total lunar eclipse will provide a dramatic display, as the Earth's shadow produces a spooky red tone that has inspired the nickname "blood moon."

Scientists say the eclipse will be the longest of the century, lasting a full 103 minutes. Unfortunately, North America is the only continent where the phenomenon won't be visible, but astronomy lovers can tune into a livestream that will give a close-up view and commentary. The eclipse will begin at 1:14 p.m. EDT and will end at 7:28 p.m. EDT, reports Wired.

As the sun, Earth, and moon all line up perfectly for a nearly record-long period of time, the moon will transform from its usual milky color to a fiery red, which comes from reflections of light from Earth's atmosphere. The blood moon will coincide with Mars hitting peak brightness, reports CNN, giving Earth-dwellers a two-for-one special show in the sky. Watch the once in a lifetime celestial event below, via the Virtual Telescope Project. Summer Meza

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