(ABC 6 News) — It’s an event three years in the making, but you’ll have to burn the midnight oil if you want to catch tonight’s blood moon.

A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse, and Thursday night will mark the first one to occur in three years.

“We’ll get to see a full moon get caught in the act of sneaking directly behind the earth and running into our shadow. Usually the full moon goes above or below our shadows,” said Ken Fiscus of the Cedar River Astronomy Club.

Fiscus says there will be a telescope viewing out at the Jay Hormel Nature Center in Austin. It will begin, weather permitting, at midnight.

If cloud cover is less than 50%, the best viewing for the naked eye will occur from 1:30-2:30 a.m., which is when the sun’s reflection likely will color the moon an orangish-red color.

“You’re seeing the light of all of the sunrises and sunsets that are happening on the earth at that moment. That red light is the only light that’s making it around the earth to barely light up the full moon,” said Fiscus.