Note: Based on press release by Griffith Observatory.

Griffith Observatory will host a free public event to view the total lunar eclipse on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 6:45 to 9:45 pm.

Telescope and binocular viewing of the Moon will be available free to the public, with commentary by Griffith Observatory staff members. During parts of the evening, the L.A. Philharmonic and Steinway & Sons will present live piano music performed by Ray Ushikubo of the Colburn School. He will perform Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and other Moon-related pieces on the Observatory’s front lawn. Blankets are welcome, chairs are prohibited.

People can safely view the eclipse from anywhere and don’t need a telescope or other viewing device. Just look near the horizon to the east, beginning just after sunset. (Although the dim eclipsed Moon rises at about 6:45 p.m. PDT, it may be somewhat hard to see until after dark, around 7:30.)

You can also watch Griffith Observatory’s live online broadcast at http://new.livestream.com/GriffithObservatoryTV

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the shadow cast by the Earth. The round disk of the full Moon slowly moves in to the dark shadow, and the bright Moon grows dim. The Moon, however, does not become completely dark. Instead, it usually glows with a faint copper or red color, a result of sunlight being filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere.

(Courtesy of Griffith Observatory.)