A Winter Solstice Eclipse

Moon-gazers are in for a rare treat early Tuesday morning, as the winter solstice kicks off with a total lunar eclipse, the first time the two events have coincided since 1638, according to NASA.

Starting at 1:33 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, the moon will pass through Earth's shadow, creating a 72-minute window where the moon will be  glowing red on the longest night of the year.

"If you watch the Moon you will see it slowly entering the Earth's shadow," says Kevin D. Conod, plantearium manager and astronomer at the Newark Museum Dreyfuss Plantearium.  "It takes about an hour for the Moon to be completely covered. During this time you may see the Moon change color. It often gets a reddish or orange color. This is due to our atmosphere which filters out other colors from the sunlight which illuminates the Moon."

NASA says the moon will be in its deepest shadow at 3:17 a.m., and will display its most pronounced reddish hue at that time. It will fully re-emerge from the shadow of the Earth at 5:01 a.m. 

"Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to look at without filters," Conod says. "You don't need any equipment, just clear skies and your eyes. But a pair of binoculars can give you a close up view of the Moon's surface during the event. Just simply go outside find the Moon and enjoy!" (Read more in Conod's blog on the night sky for the Newark Museum).

In preparation for the celestial occurrence, NASA has rolled out a range of activities and features, including live web chats, a text message sign up campaign to receive text reminders, and a Flickr group devoted to amateur and professional photographers capturing the action.

For more information about eclipses, or to learn about the activities being offered, click here.