Tonight Promises a Spectacular View of Lunar Eclipse

This year's total lunar eclipse is also called the Christmas lunar eclipse, as it happens a few days before Christmas. It is expected to last three hours and 28 minutes tonight.

The forecast in Ocean City calls for 30 percent cloud cover in the early morning hours, so it's likely the view will be unobstructed.

The moon should be high overhead at the start of the eclipse in Ocean City, so any open location will provide a clear view. Bayside locations will be ideal as the moon sets to the west toward the conclusion of the eclipse at 5:01 a.m.

Although this is the second lunar eclipse of 2010, it is the first total lunar eclipse since Feb. 20, 2008. And the last total lunar eclipse that occurred simultaneously with winter solstice, as it is tonight, happened in the year 1638.

The last lunar eclipse of 2010 is especially well-placed for observers throughout North America, according to NASA's eclipse website.

Eclipse times on the East Coast:

1:33 a.m. — partial eclipse begins

2:41 a.m. — total eclipse begins

3:17 a.m. — mid-eclipse

3:53 a.m. — total eclipse ends

5:01 a.m. — partial eclipse ends

The last eclipse this year happened on June 26, it was nowhere near as vivid as tonight's is expected to be.

The color and brightness of the totally eclipsed moon, according to NASA, should be a dark eclipse because of Indonesia's Mount Merapi recent volcanic eruptions. Dark eclipses are caused by volcanic gas and dust that filter and block much of the sun's light from reaching the moon, according to the website.

The total eclipse phase is going to be bright red and orange.

When the moon is completely concealed by Earth, this is known by space experts as totality. Tonight's totality will last just slightly more 72 minutes, something NASA officials say is "quite a bit longer than the last total lunar eclipse."