It will take practically no effort to witness what promises to be a beautiful celestial event this weekend. Simply walk outside at sunset on Saturday and look to the east.

Viewers in Europe, Africa, western Asia and part of Antarctica are in position to watch the entire eclipse.

In the Americas, the eclipse will be underway by the time the moon rises, according to NASA scientists. The full eclipse ends at 6:57 p.m. EST. After that, the moon will slowly shed its reddish cloak and turn sparklingly bright — provided there are no Earthly clouds in the way to block the view.Parts of the eclipse, the first of two that will occur this year, will be visible on every continent, said Fred Espenak, with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.