A near total lunar eclipse will be visible across much of North and South America on Thursday night, with about 96% of the Moon darkened at its peak.

Color changes during the eclipse arise from sunlight refracted by Earth’s atmosphere, with shorter wavelengths scattered and red/orange light predominating.

The eclipse timeline runs from the outer shadow at 9:23 p.m. ET, partial eclipse starting 10:33 p.m. ET, maximum at 12:13 a.m. ET, partial ending 1:51 a.m. ET, to penumbral phase finishing at 3:01 a.m. ET, totaling about 339 minutes.

The article is a news brief with related CNN video recommendations, indicating ongoing coverage of science and space topics.

The excerpt provides a general description without specific locations, times, or quantitative measurements.

Experts Nico Cappelluti and Andrew Fraknoi discuss how atmospheric factors influence the Moon’s hue and how observers can view it without special equipment.

Forecasts suggest mostly cloudy skies but occasional openings; viewing is possible at the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, with Moon viewing options also available elsewhere.

The piece emphasizes the visual impact of the eclipse and CNN’s coverage rather than deep analysis.

For more information, visit usca.edu/rpsec (eclipses page) for event details.

Additional guidance includes when to survey the sky, the benefit of observing surrounding stars as the Moon dims, and noting that this content originated from WIRED en Español and has been translated.

No special equipment is required to observe a lunar eclipse; it's safely viewable with the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope enhance the experience.

The event is safe to view without eye protection, with tips such as avoiding light pollution and considering livestreams or local observatories if skies are cloudy.