If you want to see a rare show this week, step out into your backyard for a few minutes.

On Wednesday, a total lunar eclipse will be visible for almost an hour in nearly all of the United States. Even better, no telescopes or other gadgets are required. All you need is a clear sky.

Because the moon is going to be large that night, it will be easy to see the eclipse, said Bruce Twarog, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Kansas University. It will be visible from any backyard.

“The bottom line is that the best way to see it is without a telescope,” Twarog said.

In Lawrence, the phenomenon begins with a partial eclipse about 7:45 p.m. By 9 p.m., the moon will be totally eclipsed and will remain that way until about 9:50 p.m., according to NASA.

During the total eclipse, the moon’s disk can take on a variety of shades.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, so Earth’s shadow is cast over the moon, Twarog said. He said our planet is more than twice as big as the moon, which is why a lunar eclipse lasts so long.

Although this will be the third total lunar eclipse visible in the U.S. in about a year, that doesn’t mean they’re a frequent event. According to NASA, this is the last chance for a total lunar eclipse in the U.S. until Dec. 20, 2010.