A blood moon total lunar eclipse will light up the night sky this week. How and when you can view the celestial event.

This week, stargazers are in for a celestial treat. A total lunar eclipse — also known as a "blood moon" — will be visible in the U.S. for the first time since 2022. The phenomena in March is known as a “blood worm moon,” aptly named for the color it will appear, and holds significance for the time of year it’s happening — the transition from winter to spring.

Here’s what to know about the lunar eclipse and how to watch it.

What happens during a total lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon roughly line up, with Earth being in the middle. During the total eclipse, the moon will be positioned within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra.

The moon will appear a reddish copper color because "any sunlight that's not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth's atmosphere," NASA said. "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon."

If rain is forecast for the area, you may be able to catch a rare moonbow, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s similar to how a rainbow works, when sunlight passes through rain droplets, but here it’s created by moonlight, and only happens when the full moon is low in the sky.

How can you see the total lunar eclipse?

The total lunar eclipse can only be seen from Earth’s Western Hemisphere, so it will be visible in every U.S. state. Depending on your time zone, sky viewers can see it Thursday evening or Friday morning.

The eclipse will reach totality when the full moon moves into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow.

Below are the major North American time zones when the moon will reach totality and will remain there for about 65 minutes, according to Space.com.

• Hawaii: 8:26 p.m. HST on Thursday

• Alaska: 10:26 p.m. AKDT on Thursday

• Pacific: 11:26 p.m. PDT on Thursday

• Mountain Time: 12:26 a.m. MDT on Friday

• Central Time: 1:26 a.m. CDT on Friday

• Eastern Time: 2:26 a.m. EDT on Friday

“You don’t need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view,” NASA says. “A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions.”

Why is it called a ‘blood worm moon’?

Each full moon has its own name, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“The early Native Americans did not record time using the Julian or Gregorian calendar months,” the almanac said. “Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months, although there was much variability.”

The “worm moon” name may have come from the plethora of earthworms found emerging from the ground as spring draws near. Other research, drawing on writings from the 1760s, cites types of worms and beetle larvae that emerge from tree bark as they thaw from winter.

Additional names for the March full moon signal the transition from winter to spring. These include the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon, Crow Comes Back Moon, Sugar Moon, Wind Strong Moon and Sore Eyes Moon.