In Brief:

(CNN) -- If the weather agrees, sky watchers in much of the world will see the first eclipse of 2001, a total eclipse of the moon. Europe and Africa will have a chance to witness the event Tuesday evening. Much of Asia will follow Wednesday morning before dawn.

The moon will probably take on a vivid red or orange color during the total eclipse phase, which will last 62 minutes, according to NASA astronomer Espenek said. A lunar eclipse takes place when a full moon passes through part of Earth's shadow.

The eclipse will not be seen from the United States because it takes place before the moon rises. But the last stages of the partial phases of the eclipse will be visible in the Northeast on Tuesday as the moon rises at sunset.

Celestial watchers in Eastern Canada could see partial phases of the eclipse shortly after the moon rises at sunset on Tuesday. Others in Western Australia could see similar partial phases shortly before the moon sets at sunrise on Wednesday.

(CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis astronauts are at the Kennedy Space Center training for their upcoming flight to the international space station.

Four members of the crew flew Wednesday afternoon from the Johnson Space Center in Texas to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fifth astronaut skipped the Wednesday trip for health reasons but arrived Thursday morning, according to NASA.

The five astronauts, scheduled to launch as early as January 19, should deliver the U.S.-built science laboratory Destiny to the international space station Alpha.

The crew began training exercises Thursday ahead of the flight. They will participate in a simulated countdown that concludes with a launch day dress rehearsal on Saturday.

"Everything's on schedule for the countdown test," said Bruce Buckingham, a NASA spokesman in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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