Total lunar eclipse gives birth to red moon as January ends

The moon is seen in the sky during a total lunar eclipse in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 31, 2018. A red moon will grace the sky in most parts of China for over an hour during a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday night, according to the Beijing Planetarium. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A red moon will grace the sky in most parts of China for over an hour during a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday night, according to the Beijing Planetarium.

The lunar eclipse, which is expected to begin at 7:48 p.m., will last for about five hours. As the moon passes into Earth's shadow, it will exhibit a reddish tinge as the sunlight is refracted while shining through Earth's atmosphere.

The red moon is expected to be visible between 8:51 p.m. and 10:08 p.m., lasting about one hour and 17 minutes.

The moon will also appear bigger as its orbit is near its closest point to Earth.

The last time a complete lunar eclipse occurred was September 28, 2015. The next lunar eclipse will happen on July 28.