Late-night revellers could see a spectacular pre-Christmas light show in the heavens tonight.
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The moon will turn blood red as the Earth's shadow moves across its surface. This total lunar eclipse, which enters it darkest phase at 1.06am tomorrow, will be the last one until 2014.
The senior astronomy educator at Sydney Observatory, Geoff Wyatt, said that weather permitting, the 52 minutes of totality can be watched safely, without the need for protective or special equipment.
''It's a spectacular show,'' he said.
''Sit in a nice comfy chair and enjoy the view.''
The partial phase of the eclipse, when the moon looks like it has had a bite taken out of it, will begin at 11.45 tonight.
The moon shines because it reflects light from the sun.
During totality, when the Earth fully blocks the sun's rays, some light still reaches the moon's surface, because it is refracted as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere.
Particles in the atmosphere scatter the blue light, so the moon takes on a rusty-red hue.