As the countdown to the year's first total lunar eclipse begins, here's what to know about the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse.

The moon will appear a striking reddish color in a few weeks when a magnificent total lunar eclipse becomes visible all across the United States.

However, one key question forms the basis of the conversation: What's the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse? Here's everything you need to know about how the positions of Earth, the moon and the sun combine to create some of the sky's most spectacular events.