A rare display will grace New Zealand skies on Friday - the longest partial lunar eclipse since the 13th century.
The event happens when the moon, sun and Earth align with Earth's shadow cast on the moon - also known as a lunar eclipse.
But what makes this particular lunar eclipse so rare is that it's a near-total lunar eclipse that will be visible from New Zealand for the longest time in more than 800 years.
"This partial lunar eclipse is unusually long because it's near-total and it's near apogee, which means the moon is furthest from Earth in its orbit, which is known as a micromoon," said Stardome Observatory & Planetarium astronomer Rob Davison.
He said the moon will travel close to the centre of the Earth's shadow - and will stay in New Zealand's skies for nearly 3.5 hours.
New Zealanders will be able to view the spectacle on Friday, weather permitting.
"Sky gazers will see the near-total eclipse begin very soon after moonrise at around 8pm. They'll then see Earth's shadow gradually cover the surface of the moon as it rises higher in the sky."
The near-total lunar eclipse begins at 8:20pm, will peak at 10:04pm and finish at 11:48pm.
"Most of the eclipse will be dominated by the shadow moving across the Moon, with a brief period where it will appear as a blood micro moon in our night sky," Davison said.
