Partial lunar eclipse may be visible from Ireland tonight

A partial lunar eclipse may be visible from Ireland this evening.

The earth's shadow will pass over the face of the moon as it rises in the southeast a from 10.30pm tonight.

The weather forecast is for showers in the evening, which are expected to clear.

The eclipse falls on the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 - which took the first men to the moon.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, sun, and moon are almost exactly in line and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun.

The moon is full, moves into the shadow of the Earth and dims dramatically but usually remains visible, lit by sunlight that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere.

David Moore, founder of Astronomy Ireland said the "eclipse occurs exactly 50 years to the day" that Neil Armstrong was "launched to the Moon to make his historic 'small step/giant leap' a few days later.

He added: "As the sky darkens and the Moon rises we will get our best views of the eclipse from Ireland."

A statement from Astronomy Ireland said that "Ireland won't see another eclipse of the Moon for over 2 years and it won't be as good as this one so everyone is urged to check the sky from 10pm to midnight, even if there are clouds around."

- additional reporting by Press Association