Stargazers will get a treat tonight with the spectacular display of a total lunar eclipse.
The phenomenon occurs when the Earth sits between the moon and the sun, completely blocking the satellite from the star's direct rays.
But as light passes through our atmosphere, the longer-waved lightwaves make it through to cast a red glow, giving rise to the so-called 'super blood moon'.
It's one of best shows (not) on Earth, and it's been happening since we began our celestial dance with the moon all those eons ago.
So how do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures interpret these events?
The first astronomers
It goes without saying that pre-invasion Indigenous communities took note of lunar eclipses: very little about the natural environment escaped their attention, and that included the movement of the heavens.
"These eclipses are quite shocking events if you're not expecting the moon to completely change colour!" says Kirsten Banks, an astrophysicist and science communicator. TikTok-famous as 'AstroKirsten', the Wiradjuri woman is continuing an ancient tradition.
"Aboriginal astronomers were the first astronomers of this land," she told NITV.
With lunar eclipses occurring almost annually, First Nations astronomers have been witness to literally millions of them, and interpretations of their significance are as varied as the Countries they originated in.
"The knowledge of Indigenous astronomers across what we now call Australia is so diverse, because it depends on the land around them and what is sacred to them."
A petroglyph, thought to depict a lunar eclipse event, in Kuringgai National Park, NSW.
Bad omens and good lessons
"So lunar eclipses are seen by some Aboriginal groups as a bit of an omen to say that a relative may be in danger, or someone on a journey had maybe become sick or was injured.
"For the Lardil of Mornington Island, the moon is a greedy and selfish man who steals food, and as he steals food he gets fatter and fatter. And that's showing the moon getting bigger and bigger, going through the phases and turning into a full moon.
"But when the moon turns red during this lunar eclipse, they see that as the sudden death of the moon, and that acts as a warning to younger people to not steal food ... reinforcing the taboo of selfishness."
It's a striking canvas for a moral lesson, and one that Kirsten will certainly be looking out for tonight.
But she's got a warning for those who might be inclined to skip it.
"I'm hoping that these clouds go away in Sydney and I can see at least a glimpse of it at some point tonight, because the next one won't be until 2025!"
