WESTPORT — A total eclipse of the full “Worm” moon will take place early Friday, and the Westport Astronomical Society invites skywatchers to get closeup views of the celestial phenomenon from its Bayberry Lane observatory.

If skies are clear, the WAS said in its invitation, the observatory at 182 Bayberry Lane will be open from 1 to 3:40 a.m. Friday, March 14.

A crew of WAS volunteers will be on hand with telescopes to track the full moon as it goes dark while passing through the Earth’s shadow.

According to NASA, “The period of full shadow, or total eclipse, will last about 65 minutes, reaching the greatest eclipse at 2:59 a.m. and ending at 3:31 a.m. 

“Even though it will be in full shadow, the Moon will still be visible. The glow of all of the sunrises and sunsets on Earth will give the Moon a reddish-brown hue, sometimes called a “Blood Moon” — although this name is also used for one of the full moons near the start of fall.”

The lunar eclipse can be safely viewed without any protective eyewear, unlike a solar eclipse, WAS points out.

The astronomical society plans to post views of Friday’s phenomenon to its online eclipse page, as well as its various social-media accounts.