The Moon will suffer a partial power failure tonight. It will grow dark as it passes through Earth’s shadow – creating a total lunar eclipse.

Lunar eclipses occur only at full Moon, when the Moon aligns directly opposite the Sun. The Moon’s orbit is tilted a bit, so most months our satellite world passes above or below the shadow. But when the geometry is just right, the Moon passes through part or all of the shadow, creating a partial or total eclipse.

For this eclipse, the Moon will plunge through the heart of the shadow, creating totality. Almost all of the Americas will see the entire eclipse sequence. The Moon will dip into Earth’s shadow, become fully immersed, then slip back into the sunlight. The Moon won’t go completely dark, though – sunlight scattered through Earth’s atmosphere will give it a deep orange or red glow.

The partial eclipse, when the Moon is only partially covered by the shadow, begins at 12:09 a.m. Central Time, and will last about three and a half hours. Totality begins at 1:26 a.m., and will last an hour and five minutes.

Anyone standing on the Moon would see a total solar eclipse, with Earth crossing in front of the Sun. Sunlight would create a bright orange outline around Earth. NASA and China plan to establish outposts near the Moon’s south pole in the coming decades. So before long, we may see some stunning views of these colorful alignments from an entirely new perspective.

Script by Damond Benningfield