The eclipse will be visible from South America and most of North America, Western Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.

All in a Line
A total eclipse occurs during a full moon when the sun, Earth, and moon align with the sun on one side, the Earth in the middle, and the moon on the other side. The moon moves though the Earth's shadow as the moon orbits the Earth. At the time of the eclipse on Wednesday, starting at 7 P.M., the full moon and the sun are exactly opposite one another and the Earth is in the middle.

Eclipses gave ancient Greeks the clue that the earth is round, not flat. As the shadow of Earth starts across the moon, the shadow will be a circle. The shadow will move slowly, so children should be alerted in advance not to expect fireworks. The moon will not disappear completely, but will likely be a dull, reddish-brown color due to bending light rays from the sun.

The moon has no light of its own. It merely reflects the light of the sun. The next total lunar eclipse will not occur until December 21, 2010. In the meantime, there will be several partial eclipses.

Look to the eastern skies this coming Wednesday evening.