A deep partial eclipse of the Moon is set to be visible in Ireland on Sunday night.
Astronomy Ireland has said that the lunar eclipse will be visible at sunset from 8pm to 9.30pm, with the east coast the best location to catch it.
However, stargazers will have to hope for clear skies to get a good glimpse of the phenomenon.
David Moore of Astronomy Ireland said the next total eclipse of the Moon will not be visible from Ireland until New Year's Eve in 2028.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves directly between the Moon and the Sun. It blocks out the sunlight and casts a shadow across the moon’s surface.
It causes the Moon to carry a dark reddish hue, sometimes referred to as a 'blood moon’.
Read more:Look up: A guide to the Irish night sky in autumn
The current forecast from Met Éireann for Sunday night predicts some showers mainly on the Atlantic fringes but long, clear spells elsewhere.
Mr Moore said on 12 August next year, there will be a almost-total solar eclipse, that will see 90% of the sun covered.
This is a "totally different phenomenon", he said, as the landscape will dim and temperatures will drop.
"There has not been a total solar eclipse on Irish soil since 1724 and there will not be another one until 2090," he added.
