Kiwis lucky to have clear skies and low light pollution will have the opportunity to see a spectacular meteor shower this evening.
Between 8pm and 12.30am, the meteor shower associated with the comet 46P/Wirtanen will shoot across Aotearoa's skies – with fireballs (or shooting stars) expected.
It's understood the show will only be seen in the South West Pacific, meaning New Zealand is in a "prime location".
So, where is the best place to catch a view of the spectacular light show?
The University of Otago geologist James Scott told 1News it will all depend on how much cloud there is.
He said there will be "some areas across NZ should be cloud-free at the time of the event, especially the central and northern North Island, with a few gaps elsewhere".
According to modelling from MetService, the areas with the best meteor-viewing weather are the Bay of Plenty, Taupō, and possibly Auckland.
In the South Island, the clearest skies will be in Nelson and around the Mackenzie Region.
The rest of the country won't be so lucky as it's expected to be cloudy evening.
Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki said the best advice for stargazers is to move to a place with low light pollution.
"So if you're in Auckland, for example, you probably don't want to be the light pollution," he said.
"The best advice is to get wrapped up warm if it's cold, get a chair, and just sit out for a few hours.
"Don't look at your phone, and avoid light sources. Let your eyes fully adjust to the darkness and watch the beautiful things."
How many meteors will be visible?
For those in areas with clear skies, around 50 meteors an hour are expected, but you might only see a few as they could be dim.
It's also the first time the Wirtanen shower will be coming to Earth, so astronomers aren't sure what will be visible. The comet passed close to Jupiter in 1972, knocking debris off it which will finally intercept Earth tonight.
"The dust has been weaving its way back to earth, and tonight we get to see what happens," astronomer Ian Griffin told Breakfast this morning.
He said the "really exciting" thing about tonight's shower is that "we don't know" what it will look like.
"We may see lots of meteors, but we may see none whatsoever.
"It's just kind of a great big scientific experiment that you just need a deck chair to carry out."
If you manage to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower, make sure to email your photos to news@tvnz.co.nz
What if you can't catch a glimpse?
Kiwis in places where clouds cover the sky may still be able to catch a glimpse of meteors, as the 2023 Geminid meteor shower will also be passing over.
The shower has been passing over the Earth all week and is expected to peak on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Aoraki said: "The best time to view the meteor shower is between three to five in the morning, with the best time being at about four in the morning."
Around 20 to 40 meteors an hour are expected during the peak of this shower.
Aoraki recommends facing north, as this is where the meteors will come from.
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