The blood red moon brought about by a lunar eclipse has been difficult to see from Sydney, but hundreds have gathered at spots across the city hoping for a glimpse of the burgundy sphere.
About 200 people were at observatory hill, next to the Harbour Bridge, while about 50 gathered under the northern side of the central Sydney landmark.
Professional and amateur photographers were about with lenses of all sizes, but their chances of snapping a clear shot of the event are slim due to thick, heavy low cloud.
"That doesn't help anyone see through it," a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.
"Ironically (Thursday) night is probably a much better night for viewing the sky, which tends to happen with these things sometimes."
The impeding cloud has formed from an onshore wind and a bit of moisture in the air, he added.
At about 10pm a dull, dark beige moon briefly appeared, prompting members of the crowd to reach for their cameras.
For those prepared to travel, the best spot to see the eclipse is the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, or further west.
Astronomer Alan Duffy of Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology says a lunar eclipse occurs when the earth moves between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow across the moon that causes it to turn a blood red colour.
A lot of the country's east coast is affected by the cloud, but with a lunar eclipse happening at least twice a year stargazers shouldn't have to wait long for another chance to observe the phenomenon.
And it's expected that seven will occur in 2038.
West Australians will see the total eclipse, but will miss the entire passage of the earth's shadow across the face of the moon because the eclipse begins before the moon rises over the state.
The eclipse is the second of four total lunar eclipses, starting with a first "blood moon" on April 15, in a series astronomers call a tetrad.
The next two total lunar eclipses will be on April 4 and September 28 next year.
The last time a tetrad took place was in 2003-2004, with the next predicted for 2032-2033.
