A total lunar eclipse in 2015 as viewed from Auckland Domain. Photo / Nick Reed.
A total lunar eclipse in 2015 as viewed from Auckland Domain. Photo / Nick Reed.
New Zealand's beautiful night sky will feature a rare astronomical wonder tonight as the supermoon, blue moon and full lunar eclipse align.
But catching a glimpse of the celestial sight could also be a rare feat with cloud cover threatening to block the view.
The sight had not been seensince 1982 and would not likely occur again until 2037.
A supermoon occurred when a full moon is at the perigee, the closet point to Earth, while a blue moon was simply the second full moon in a calendar month.
A full lunar eclipse was when the moon was completely in the Earth's shadow and was dubbed a blood moon due to its colour.
Stardome Observatory and Planetarium astronomy educator David Britten said the three occurring together was a "rare" event but recommended patience for those hoping to catch a glimpse.
The red colouring would be reasonably subtle until 1.50am when the moon fell completely in the Earth's shadow, he said.
The deeper red would be noticeable for about an hour.