A complete lunar eclipse will be visible Wednesday, Feb. 20, beginning at 8:43 p.m. and ending at 12:09 a.m. on Feb. 21, according to the NASA Web site.

This is the first total lunar eclipse to be visible in the Americas since August 2007 and will be the last until December 2010.

A total lunar eclipse takes place when the moon passes through the earth's shadow, but can only be viewed by the night side of Earth. During the eclipse, the moon can change colors from deep red to bright orange or dark brown or shade in between.

Total lunar eclipses make up about 35 percent of the lunar eclipses that take place two to four times a year. The other types of lunar eclipses are penumbral lunar eclipses and partial lunar eclipses.

Unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses are safe to watch and will cause no harm even if viewed through a telescope.

While the lunar eclipse will be  visible to the naked eye if skies are clear, telescopes will be set up on the roof of the Nielsen Physics building at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Telescopes are also available on the roof for use every first and third Friday of the month beginning at 8 p.m., along with helpful advice and information about astronomy from several UT faculty and graduate students.