How to see tonight's lunar eclipse in Australia

Australians will be able to catch one of the celestial events of the year with tonight's penumbral lunar eclipse

For a period of time in different parts of the globe, the moon will be almost perfectly aligned with the sun and Earth, causing the outer edge of Earth's shadow, known as the penumbra, to be cast onto the glowing orb.

"It'll be almost a gradient of darkening happening from one side of the moon to the other. It's not going to be a super dramatic change in what we see in the moon," Dr Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University in the US, said.

"But if you're sitting there watching it, you might notice some slight variations in brightness."

However, the penumbral eclipse will only be visible to those who are on the night side of Earth when the event occurs, including Europe, North and East Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America.

It will peak at 7.03pm tonight in Sydney and at 7.29pm in Melbourne.

Check the Time And Date website for the best viewing times for your local capital city.

While a penumbral eclipse is not as dramatic as a total lunar eclipse with the moon appearing an eerie red, there is no special equipment required to view a lunar eclipse such as the viewing glasses needed for a solar eclipse, Schmoll said, allowing for lunar eclipses to be viewed with the naked eye.

"You pretty much just need to be outside with a clear view of the moon when it's happening," Schmoll added.

"(Eclipses are) always a good excuse to go outside and try to look at the sky and appreciate where we are in the universe, and what we are able to observe from our planet."

It will be the only eclipse visible in Australia until March next year.