Total Lunar Eclipse to Grace North American Skies Late Tonight

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.

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. 

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.