SA in pole position for eclipse. Astronomers say that South Africans are in one of the best positions to view tonight's total lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes behind the earth, so that the earth blocks the sun's rays from striking the moon.
Claire Flanagan from Joburg's Planetarium about what is in store for tonight:
"If you go out, then you'll see the full moon. Then, from about 8.22pm it will start going into the shadow of the earth," she said.
"It will be very, very easy to see. You'll notice the edge of it getting like a shadow on it, until it gets bigger and bigger and bigger until the moon's completely in the shadow of the earth. That will take about an hour to happen. And then it will probably be glowing a dullish red colour for another hour-and-a-half, then after 11 o'clock it will start to recover."

Flannegan says experiencing a full lunar eclipse over your particular part of the world is quite rare. The next one over South Africa will be in 2015.