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Russian Far East to See Total Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday

Those living in Russia's far eastern and far north-eastern regions will be able to see a total lunar eclipse.

Russians living in the country's Far East will be treated to a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday when the moon falls beneath the Earth's shadow.

The eclipse will begin at about 12:15 p.m. (MSK) and will reach its height by about 2:45 p.m. (MSK), state-run RIA Novosti quoted the U.S. space agency NASA as saying.

Those living in Russia's far eastern and far north-eastern regions will be able to see a total eclipse, while those living in Siberia will only get a partial viewing, Siberia's Novosibirsk planetarium said in an online statement.

Lunar eclipses take place when the Earth, the Sun and the moon are aligned on the same axis, so the shadow of the Earth blocks out the sunlight reflected by the moon. As a result, the moon can take on a reddish or orange shade in a phenomenon known as "blood moon."

This is the second lunar eclipse to take place this year, with the next one due to take place in April 2015, according to NASA.

Residents in the U.S., and eastern Canada and Australia will also be able to witness the eclipse.

Viewers can watch a live transmission of the eclipse on NASA's website.

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