It may be worth staying up late tonight to catch a glimpse of an astronomical event 150 years in the making - that is, if the clouds stay away.
Tonight, stargazers will be treated to three rare lunar events all at once: a total lunar eclipse, a supermoon and a blue moon.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the earth, sun and moon all line up, giving the moon a reddish colour.
A supermoon is when the moon is at its closest point to earth and a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.
The last time all three occurred at once was on March 31, 1866.
It will be another three years before another total lunar eclipse is visible from New Zealand.
The event will be visible to the naked eye but those wanting a closer look can visit the Beverly-Begg Observatory, in Dunedin, which is being opened specially for the occasion.
Dunedin Astronomical Society volunteer Stu Todd said it was a particularly exciting night for people interested in astronomy.
While the super and blue moon were interesting, it was the total lunar eclipse that had astronomers excited, Mr Todd said.
''That's the big event. If you imagine you're looking at all the sunsets and sunrises on the entire planet all at once, that's what you're going to be looking at. Because it's a super moon, that means people are going to be able to get a fantastic look at it.''
The eclipse would start at 11.50pm and the best time to view it would be between 1.40am and 2.30am tomorrow, Mr Todd said.
The observatory will be open to the public from midnight.
''It's a really good event. We missed the last one because of the weather, so we're hoping for some clear sky this time around.''
The MetService is forecasting high cloud to move in over Dunedin tonight and rain early tomorrow morning.
