Watch the June 15 eclipse… online!

Wednesday, the Earth's shadow will completely cover the moon for one hour and 40 minutes, the longest lunar eclipse in a decade. The total event, which will be 2011's first eclipse, will last an extraordinary three hours and 40 minutes.

But if you're in North America, you won't be able to see it for any amount of time.

Thankfully, Google has come to the rescue of all would-be moon gazers.Through a partnership with Slooh Space Camera, the internet giant will be streaming the entire event live. The webcast will be broadcast from 2 to 6 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

We're always fascinated by the unique wonders of space and the world-what can we say, it's the geek in us, Google wrote on its blog.

We were both excited and disappointed that this rare occasion wouldn't be visible from our Mountain View campus like last year's eclipse.

The webcast will be equipped with audio narrations from real-life astronomers so you can hear a first-hand, expert account of the event.

The event can be viewed using the Google App Engine, and will stream live on the Google YouTube Channel or from the Sky layer in Google Earth. Android phone users will be able to see the eclipse via their smartphones.

The June 15 Lunar Eclipse will be best viewed in real-life Africa, and Central Asia.