In a lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow — called the umbra — blocks the sun's light from hitting the full moon, resulting in a dimmer moon with a distinct red and orange cast. It's also called a blood moon.

"Lunar eclipse is if you're on the side of the Earth that's facing the full moon, you will see the eclipse. The side of the Earth, so, in that sense, it's not rare. (We) get one every couple of years," astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said March 14 on TODAY. Tyson also explained just how the moon turns the shade of red it does.

“As maximum eclipse nears, the moon transforms into a deep crimson orb,” the space agency said. “That red color comes from the ring of all the sunsets and sunrises you’d see encircling our planet if you were an astronaut on the lunar surface right then.”