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Eager stargazers are preparing for an early morning on Tuesday in order to view the latest lunar phenomenon.
The partial lunar eclipse, which occurs when the earth moves between the sun and the moon will commence at 3:22am and last around 2 hours.
Total eclipse preview
On August 21st, for the first time in almost a century, a total solar eclipse will reach across the United States, plunging a strip over 100 kilometres wide, into darkness.
Glen Nagle from the CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science division said that a portion of the moon will initially take on a dark red tinge before fading to almost complete darkness.
"You'll see an initial partial reddening of the moon. From Sydney's point of view, if you're looking at the moon you'll be looking at the top left hand corner of the moon and it will have a slightly reddish brown appearance. That is the light passing through the earth's atmosphere on its way to the moon and is known as the penumbral phase of the eclipse."
As the three masses move into alignment, "the earth itself as a solid mass and it's shadow starts to block the light and that part of the moon will get darker".
"In this case, the moon's only going to be partially eclipsed, maybe a sixth of the moon."
Unlike solar eclipses, no special equipment is required to view a lunar eclipse, although a pair of binoculars or a telescope may enhance the view of the event.
"The beautiful thing about lunar eclipses is you can just use your eyes. As long as it's clear skies and you can see the moon, you can see the eclipse."
In positive news for those hoping to catch the event, clear skies are currently forecast for Tuesday morning.
The event isn't exceedingly rare, partial lunar eclipses typically occur once every eight months. However, for many, the event provides yet another moment to stop and reflect on where we lie in the universe.
"They actually happen a couple of times a year. They're not particularly rare, but you'll get these partial eclipses, we've had two this this year."
"It's always interesting to go and see, and, really, the important thing is to think about what's happening, the earth's shadow passing over the moon, and the alignment between earth, sun and moon and really makes you think about our place in the cosmos."
Australia's next total eclipse will take place on January 31 of next year.