The moon will appear a striking reddish color in a few weeks when a magnificent total lunar eclipse becomes visible all across the United States.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned directly between the moon and sun, blocking the sun's rays from the moon.

On the night of March 13 into March 14, skygazers across North America—along with many other parts of the world—will get the chance to see a total lunar eclipse with a red ghoulish hue. This is basically the opposite of a solar eclipse, like last year’s spectacular event. Here’s what you need to know to catch all the mid-March lunar action .