A once-in-150-years super blue blood moon eclipse is happening tonight.
This rare celestial event is actually three separate moon events occurring simultaneously in one night.
Auckland University Physicist Nicholas Rattenbury explains why the moon will look red tonight.
A supermoon takes place when the moon is at its closest point to earth during its elliptical orbit - this makes it appear 14 per cent larger than when it is at its further point and this has happened once already this year.
Auckland University Physicist Nicholas Rattenbury said the moon's expected "dusky red" glow tonight will be a product of light refraction.
The blue moon term is used to describe a full moon taking place for the second time within a full calendar month.
It's the first time in 152 years the lunar event is taking place.
The Christchurch Astronomical Society told 1 NEWS that this moon is technically not blue for us here in New Zealand, as it takes place on February 1 at 2.26am - a few hours too late in our time zone to be considered a blue moon.
However, for most of the planet, the coincidence of a super, blue and blood moon is a one-in-150-year occurrence.
A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse, where the Moon passes completely into Earth's shadow - this causes sunlight going past Earth to refract onto the Moon's surface, giving it a red colour.
ECLIPSE TIMELINE:
Partial eclipse begins - 12:45am
Total eclipse begins - 1:52am
Greatest eclipse - 2:30 am
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