GET your telescopes and binoculars ready, because there is going to be a partial eclipse of the moon tonight.

Stargazers will be hoping for clear skies so they see the natural phenomenon unfold from 8.36pm.

It is due to peak at 10.11pm and is set to finish at 11.44pm.

Chris Livingstone of Worcester Astronomical Society said: “It’s going to be quite a big partial eclipse so it will be quite interesting to look at.”

Mr Livingstone said about four fifths of the moon will be covered by the earth’s shadow, and added it will be seen right across the world.

“I haven’t seen one partialled this much before,” he said. “There was a total eclipse a year or so ago but I haven’t seen a big partial before so it will be quite interesting for me from that point of view.

“We will see the bottom half of the moon in the earth’s shadow and the top fifth of the moon will still be in sunlight with the shadow getting darker so it should be quite good.”

We previously reported in your Worcester News how there was a partial eclipse of the sun on the morning of Friday, August 1, but the event went largely unnoticed by workers and shoppers.

Mr Livingstone said: “This one is at quite a nice time - they are normally at something stupid like 3am.

“It’s quite common for them to be in pairs because the earth, moon and sun are still lined up from the eclipse so all that’s happened is that the moon has moved 180 degrees to the other side of the earth.”