A near-total lunar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Thursday night - NBC News

A near-total lunar eclipse will be visible Thursday night across North and South America, with the continental U.S. offering some of the best views, weather permitting; it will also be seen in parts of Europe and Africa.
At the eclipse's peak, 96.2% of the moon will be covered by Earth's shadow, which appears reddish orange due to the way Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight — giving rise to the nickname "blood moon."
The event begins at 9:23 p.m. ET as the moon enters the outer shadow, with Earth's shadow starting to visibly cover the lunar surface at 10:33 p.m. ET.
The eclipse peaks at 12:12 a.m. ET and concludes at 3:01 a.m. ET; most viewers in the Americas will see every stage, except those in Alaska and northernmost Canada, while European and African viewers will catch it early Friday as the moon sets.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can be safely viewed with the naked eye, and binoculars or telescopes can reveal more dramatic details.
The event follows a total solar eclipse two weeks earlier that darkened skies over Spain, part of Portugal, Greenland, Iceland and northern Russia; solar and lunar eclipses often occur in pairs roughly two weeks apart because of how the sun, moon and Earth align.