Winter officially begins late tonight and this winter solstice will be a rare event. Not only will there be a full moon, but there will also be a total lunar eclipse starting after 1:30 a.m. ET, 10:30 p.m. PT.

What is a lunar eclipse? It is when the sun, the Earth, and the moon are all in line with each other, with the Earth in the middle. The Earth’s shadow is cast onto the moon, making it appear dim. Lunar eclipses happen twice a year (the last one was in June), so they aren’t especially rare. What is rare is for the solstice, a full moon, and a lunar eclipse to all happen at the same time. The last time that happened was 372 years ago in the year 1638!

Learn how to see tonight’s winter solstice and lunar eclipse on National Geographic News.

Think you’ve got your moon facts straight? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

Photograph by Tunc Tezel, TWAN