The total lunar eclipse taking place in the early hours of January 31 is the combination of three spectacular phenomena.
Viewers can expect to see a blue moon – the second full moon in a calendar month – orbiting closer to the Earth than usual, making it seem up to 14 percent larger in the sky.
If that wasn’t enough there will also be a total lunar eclipse, which is often described a blood moon because of the way the moon turns a gorgeous coppery red.
Live footage from Waikiki Beach in Hawaii will allow viewers to catch the spectacular show as the eclipse reaches its peak at 02:51am local time.
NASA program executive Gordon Johnston said: “The next full Moon will be on Wednesday morning, January 31, 2018, appearing ‘opposite’ the Sun at 8:27 AM EST.
“For the continental US, the viewing will be best in the West. Set your alarm early and go out and take a look.
He added: “Weather permitting, the United States West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have a spectacular view of totality from start to finish.”
Unlike America’s solar eclipse in the summer, there is not a specific path of totality that limits where you can see the lunar eclipse.
Dr Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University, said that the UK is on the side of the world that cannot see the moon at the time of the eclipse.
But for the rest of the world, he said: “Everywhere where you will be able to see the full moon, you will be able to see the lunar eclipse.”
The January 31 supermoon marks the fourth blue moon and total lunar eclipse in North America to appear at the same time in more than 150 years.
The full moon will enter its penumbral phase around 5.51am EST (10.51am GMT) before reaching totality around 7.50am EST (12.50pm GMT).
Because the moon is roughly four times smaller than Earth, the whole event could last up to five hours.
The last time there was a super blue blood moon eclipse was 150 years ago in 1866, when Andrew Johnson was serving as the President of the United States following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Skywatchers on the US’s west coast will have the best views of the eclipse, with NASA confirming that residents of Hawaii, Alaska and California all the way up to western Canada should be able to see the entire display, weather permitting.
NASA scientist Noah Petro has offered some of his top tips for viewing lunar eclipses, ahead of this morning’s long-awaited blood moon.
He told Space.com: “The real best place for people to go is in their backyard, or get together with friends, or any place you might be able to have a clear view of the western sky.
“Obviously, being near a large city, you get a beautiful view of the moon setting behind huge buildings.