You can see a blood moon lunar eclipse in August. Here's when, how to see it at maximum

(NEXSTAR) – A lunar eclipse will be visible across the entire United States at the end of August, when the full moon will pass through Earth's shadow, turning it a spooky shade of red. Unlike the spectacular solar eclipse that was just recently visible in Europe, this one will be safe to view with the naked eye — no special glasses needed. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon orbits through Earth's shadow. This month, the eclipse coincides with a full moon, giving us the best view of the shadow moving across the moon. When this happens, you won't see the moon disappear from the sky. Instead, it will take on a "rusty, coppery tint," according to NASA. The color is what gives this August lunar eclipse its "blood moon" nickname. The action is expected to kick off the night of Thursday, Aug. 27 and continue into Friday, Aug. 28. The viewing zone covers all of North America, but the eastern half of the U.S. will see the most dramatic version of the eclipse. At its maximum, nearly all of the moon — about 96%, according to the Saint Louis Science Center — will be covered by the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will start at 9:38 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday night and end around 3:01 a.m. Friday morning, but the best time to view it will be at eclipse maximum, or 12:12 a.m. ET. The best times to view the eclipse's maximum in all time zones are below: The sun sets too late in Hawaii and Alaska to really get the best view of the eclipse maximum, but people in both states may be able to ca…