The nation is going to have a brilliant view of  thePlanet Mars tonight!

Mars comes close enough for us to see every two years, however, something even greater is that tonight it will be the closest it's ever been in a decade.

Many people will flock to their local park or back garden to see the planet, as it's visible to the naked eye.

But, if you really want to make a night out of it, Astronomy Ireland is inviting people to its Dublin headquarters to see Mars through its huge telescopes.

Chairman of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore said: “Be it decades or centuries into the future, the future of mankind is in space.

“I mean some of the kids looking through telescopes, there is a good chance some of them will end up living or working on Mars.”