On Jan 20-21, the full moon will be a supermoon, and there will also be a lunar eclipse

Spectators around the world can expect to see a trio of celestial events intertwine to create a spectacular total lunar eclipse in the coming days.

The first full moon of the year is known as the Wolf Moon.

When the Earth's shadow completely blankets the moon, this causes its surface to turn red as it enters the planet's shade, known as a Blood Moon.

'This one is particularly good,' said Rice University astrophysicist Patrick Hartigan.

'It not only is a supermoon and it's a total eclipse, but the total eclipse also lasts pretty long.

'It's about an hour.'

The moon will also be slightly closer to the Earth, causing it to appear brighter than usual, dubbed a Super Moon.

These unique factors, when combined, result in a 'Super Blood Wolf Moon'.

The eclipse should be visible in North and South America, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and the French and Spanish coasts.

In the U.S., the eclipse will begin relatively early Sunday evening, making it easier for children to stay up and enjoy the show.

Plus the next day is a federal holiday, with most schools closed.

But the weather forecast for much of the U.S. doesn't look good.

Parents 'can keep their kids up maybe a little bit later,' said, Hartigan, who will catch the lunar extravaganza from Houston.

'It's just a wonderful thing for the whole family to see because it's fairly rare to have all these things kind of come together at the same time.'

The rest of Europe, as well as Africa, will be able to see a partial view of the eclipse, while Asia, Australia and New Zealand will miss the spectacle.

This will be the last time that sky watchers in the UK will be able to experience a total lunar eclipse until 2029.