Skywatchers around the world are gearing up to observe a rare total lunar eclipse.The best viewing conditions for the eclipse are from North and Central America, parts of northern Europe and East Asia.Astronomers say the Moon could turn a pink or blood red hue during the eclipse, which begins early on Tuesday morning GMT.It will be the first total lunar eclipse in three years.The Moon is normally illuminated by the Sun. During a total lunar eclipse, the full Moon passes through the shadow created by the Earth blocking the Sun's light.Some indirect sunlight will still manage to pierce through and give the Moon a ghostly colour.The west coast of America will see the eclipse start on Monday night; observers in North and Central America will be able to view the whole event.Total eclipse begins at 0741 GMT on Tuesday (0241 EST on Tuesday; 11:41 PST on Monday).Western Europe will only see the start of the spectacle while western Asia will catch the tail end.The totality phase - when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow - will last a little over an hour."It's perfectly placed so that all of North America can see it," said eclipse expert Fred Espenak of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Saw it this morning at about 0430 hrs.Moon was still under heavy shadow, in the western sky. Quite a sight.Its the first time in 300+ yrs that a lunar eclipse coincided with the winter solstice,which is why this one is so rare.
