LOS ANGELES — The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs tonight, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.

Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn’s handsome rings.

Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.

As the moonlight dims — it won’t go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.

Today’s event will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010. Last year there were two.

The weather could be a spoiler for many. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.

“It looks like it’s going to be a hard one to spot,” Seto said.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into Earth’s shadow and is blocked from the sun’s rays that normally illuminate it.

Today’s total eclipse phase will last nearly an hour. Earth’s shadow is expected to blot out the moon beginning around 7 p.m. on the West Coast. West Coast skygazers may miss the start of the eclipse because it occurs just as the moon rises. Moonrise for Coos Bay is at 6:58 tonight.

Unlike solar eclipses which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.

Later this year, in August, there will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.

———

On the Net:

NASA’s lunar eclipse page: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html