A shallow partial lunar eclipse Friday will cause the full Moon to appear as if it had a small bite taken out of it.
This will occur as the Moon moves through the Earth's outer shadow, also known as the penumbra, in the evening, with the deepest portion of the eclipse taking place at 7:50 EDT.
"Unusual shading on the southern half of the Moon should be fairly plain," Sky & Telescope wrote. "Look for the penumbral shadow to move from (celestial) east to west across the disc. You might be able to detect lesser traces of penumbral shading for about 45 minutes before and after mid-eclipse."
The event will be visible in the evening from North America, the Caribbean and South America. For those in Europe and Africa, the partial eclipse will take place during the middle of the night, while those in western, central and southern Asia will have to rise before dawn on Saturday if they want to get a glimpse.
According to Space.com, those living on the eastern half of North America will get a good look at the eclipse; however, for those living in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, the deepest part of the eclipse will occur before the Moon rises. Those eager to see it can to take to the Internet where the site SLOOH will be broadcasting the event with its telescopes located on the Canary Islands.
"Penumbral lunar eclipses are the most subtle of all eclipses, but SLOOH can use techniques to bring out the shadow and reveal that something is indeed happening," Bob Berman, an astronomer and columnist with Astronomy magazine, said. "Eclipses have always caught the fancy of the public ... They inspire fear, awe, superstition, you name it."
There are three different kinds of lunar eclipses. These include total, partial and penumbral. A total eclipse occurs when Earth's core -- or umbral -- shadow blankets the entire Moon in darkness. In a partial eclipse, the Earth's umbra casts just a portion of the Moon in shadow.