Fingers crossed the weather plays ball and stargazers will be satisfied.

If you’re something of a stargazer and willing to bear the cold, then you could be in for a treat as a rare event takes place in the skies tonight. An event called a penumbral lunar eclipse will take place, described by EarthSky as “when the moon, sun and Earth align to create a subtle shadow”. Traditionally, penumbral lunar eclipses aren’t quite as spectacular as a standard lunar eclipse and are often more difficult to see, but hopes are high for tonight’s one, when the moon will appear almost entirely submerged in shade. The penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible in almost every country in the world apart from Australia, New Zealand, some countries in eastern Asia and Hawaii and the good news for stargazers in this part of the world is that Europe offers the best vantage point. It should be visible in the skies around Ireland shortly after 10pm tonight and if you’re in the Dublin area, you might even fancy heading along to an eclipse watch in Astronomy Ireland HQ in Blanchardstown at 10.30pm. More details on that here; here’s hoping it lives up to expectations.