Now just days away, meteorologists have a good grasp of what regions will likely have good viewing opportunities during the night. Such a forecast can help you plan, or at least set expectations. Unlike a total solar eclipse — which lasts for mere minutes and occurs over a narrow band of Earth — a lunar eclipse lasts for a long time and is visible to potentially hundreds of millions of people.

After a week of beautiful weather, the National Weather Service is predicting a rainy weekend. But all hope isn't lost for viewing the lunar eclipse.

Stargazers in the U.S. may catch a glimpse of a total lunar eclipse this week, weather permitting. NASA reports that the Moon will take on a reddish hue as it moves into Earth's shadow on the night of March 13 early March 14.