The full moon will appear to turn blood red later this week during a total lunar eclipse — the first since 2022, according to NASA.

A lunar eclipse happens when the moon, Earth and sun align in such a way that the moon passes into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, which is called the umbra. People sometimes refer to lunar eclipses as “blood moons” because of the red-orange color the moon takes on while in Earth’s shadow.

The eclipse will begin just before midnight on Thursday on the East Coast, and the moon will begin to appear dimmer as it enters the outer edges of Earth’s shadow.

At 1:09 a.m., the moon will start to enter the umbra and it will look like a bite is being taken out of it, according to NASA.

The full eclipse will begin at 2:26 a.m. on Friday — that’s when the moon will appear to change color. The eclipse will peak at 2:58 a.m. in Baltimore, according to Time and Date. The red color will begin to fade after that, and the moon will begin to exit Earth’s umbra at 3:31 a.m.

The moon is, of course, visible with the naked eye. But a telescope or binoculars will enhance your viewing experience. Unlike a solar eclipse, no special equipment or protection is required for viewing a lunar eclipse.

The weather forecast for Thursday night and Friday morning calls for partly cloudy conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

Any time you’re trying to take in the night sky, the experience can be improved by traveling away from city lights. In the Baltimore region, that could mean driving north of Towson, west of Columbia and Ellicott City, or even onto the Eastern Shore.