Stargazers across New Zealand are standing by with a rare meteor shower expected across the skies on Tuesday night.
While meteor showers are not uncommon, Tuesday night promises to be unique thanks to New Zealand's geographical placement.
Between 8pm and 12:30am, New Zealand will be able to see the first meteor shower associated with comet 46P/Wirtanen.
Wirtanen passed close to Jupiter in 1972, knocking a load of debris off it that will intercept Earth's orbit for the first time.
And New Zealand is "the perfect place where this is happening just as we are going into the evening," Auckland Stardome astronomer Rob Davison told Newshub.
Additionally, there's another shower called the Geminids. Otago University geologist Professor James Scott told RNZ's Afternoons these will coincide.
"The Geminids are going to be going in one direction. At the same time, the debris from the comet Wirtanen is going to be going in another direction."
This means there will be a good chance of seeing shooting stars, he said.
"Even if it's not those associated with Wirtanen, it'll be the Geminids, which are pretty spectacular, they can be hundreds per night."
The showers will be happening just to the left of Jupiter, which is particularly bright at this time of year and appears like a large star.
Davison's key advice was for people to "get away from light pollution as much as possible, that's the big one".
"The darker the sky, the more easily you'll be able to see them, particularly if they're very faint and small one."
Davison also said that, because this is a meteor shower with debris from a new comet, "we don't entirely know how many there will be or how bright they will be".
"The other thing is wrap up warm," he said, "You might be out for a while".
Thankfully, stargazers don't need any particular equipment to see the storm.
"The naked eye is the best way to do it," he said.
"You don't want telescopes, binoculars, or anything like that, because often you'll see meteors and shooting stars out the corner of your eye."
He recommended the app Stellarium if people needed any assistance knowing where to look.
Clear skies will be critical to catching the spectacle and certain parts of the country are going to be a lot luckier than others in this regard.
MetService forecaster Gerard Ballam told Newshub most of the country has got showers and cloud cover, but there are some brighter spots.
"The Bay of Plenty down to Rotorua is looking quite good for viewing, Northern and Eastern parts of Northland will be pretty good too," he said.
Wellington and the Wairarapa will be clearing up on Tuesday night as well and "probably the north-east of the South Island as well".
Canterbury, Marlborough, and central Otago should have clear skies.
"The other parts have clouds and showers around," he said.
