As dusk falls Sunday evening, stargazers worldwide will receive a special lunar treat.

An eclipse will be visible across most of North America and all of South America, as well as Europe, Africa and the western half of Asia. According to an article by Joe Rao on Space.com, three billion people are estimated to have potential viewing of this eclipse. Anthony Crider, assistant professor of physics, said members of the Elon community should be able to see the eclipse from any spot with a view of the eastern sky between 8 and 8:30 p.m.

"Many people confuse the lunar eclipse with the solar eclipse, which is harmful to the eye. The lunar eclipse is just as safe to look at as looking at a full moon," Crider said.

Sunday’s lunar eclipse will be the last one viewable from North America until 2008. Two other full eclipses will occur before then, but they will not be visible in North America.

Crider said the eclipse will begin when the moon moves into the outer portion of the earth’s shadow, which is known as the penumbra. Approximately an hour later, the moon will move into the earth’s darker shadow, known as the umbra.

Viewers will be unable to see the moon in the penumbra shadow until it is deeply submerged, at which point viewers will notice a scallop of darkness on the moon’s edge.

Once the moon has moved out of the penumbra it will take approximately three hours and 35 minutes to pass through the umbra shadow.

Crider said when the moon is completely immersed in the earth’s shadow it enters into a state known as totality. The moon is in totality for approximately 30 minutes. While some may expect the moon to disappear from the night sky, it actually produces a coppery red color due to the earth’s atmosphere bending and refracting sunlight into the shadows.

On the East Coast, viewers will be able to follow the moon through the different stages of the lunar eclipse. Viewers on the Pacific coast will see the moon rise in eclipse. Likewise, audiences in east central China and the westernmost portions of China and India will see the moon set in lunar eclipse.