( CNN ) Sky watchers in western North America are in for a treat : a nearly five-minute total lunar eclipse this morning . Here 's how it 's unfolding : . It started at 3:16 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time , when the moon began moving into Earth 's shadow . For the next hour and 45 minutes , that shadow will move across the moon and engulf it at 4:58 a.m. Pacific Time . The total eclipse will only last four minutes and 43 seconds , and NASA says that makes it the shortest one of the century . Watch it live on NASA TV . While people west of the Mississippi River will have the best view , at least a partial eclipse will be visible across the nation . But sunrise will interrupt the show on the East Coast . Parts of South America , India , China and Russia also will be able to see the eclipse , but it wo n't be visible in Greenland , Iceland , Europe , Africa or the Middle East . A lunar eclipse happens when the sun , Earth and moon form a straight line in space , with the Earth smack in the middle . The sun shines on the Earth and creates a shadow . As the moon moves deeper into that shadow , it appears to turn dark and may even appear to be a reddish color . Why red ? Because Earth 's atmosphere is filtering out most of the blue light . Some people have nicknamed the effect the `` blood moon . '' NASA says lunar eclipses typically happen at least twice a year , but this eclipse is the third in a series of four in a row , known as a `` tetrad . '' The first was on April 15 , 2014 . The second was in September 2014 , the next is Saturday and there will be one more , on September 28 . If you want to learn more about the eclipse , NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams will take questions on Twitter @ NASA_Marshall . Did you see the total lunar eclipse ? Share your photos with CNN iReport .
The total eclipse will only last 4 minutes and 43 seconds . Comment: Parts of South America , India , China and Russia also will see the eclipse .