MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Eyes will turn toward the sky Thursday evening as a partial lunar eclipse becomes visible across much of the country.

Locally, the Milwaukee Astronomical Society is hosting an open house at its observatory, giving visitors a chance to view the eclipse through telescopes and learn more about astronomy.

CBS 58 spoke with a society board member who said the event is open to anyone interested in learning more about space.

"It doesn't matter from what kind of background you come from. As much as you want to learn about space, you are welcome to," board member Dhruva said. "It's a space to learn about space. You'll get to see planets, stars, galaxies, even nebulas out here and, of course, you will get to see the lunar eclipse in high definition in one of our telescopes."

The eclipse will unfold in several phases over nearly six hours, with the moon expected to reach the peak of the eclipse around 11 p.m.