Cloudy skies are likely to ruin the fun for local star gazers hoping to see a rare astronomical phenomenon.

On Sunday (January 28) around 2:53 a.m. Pacific standard time, the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus will be eclipsed by the moon.

Aldebaran is a massive red star that's 36 light years away from Earth, according to the National Geographic website. As the image above shows, it's many times larger than the sun.

The star's name is derived from the Arabic word for "follower" because it rises near the Pleidas, which is a cluser of bluish stars in Taurus.

The best viewing locations for the eclipse of Aldebaran is in northern parts of North America.

However, weather forecasters are predicting between 50 to 200 millimetres of rain on the south coast of B.C. on Sunday and Monday (January 28 and 29).

Snow is expected at higher elevations.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued advisories for high stream flows in many parts of the province, including the North Shore mountains, the Howe Sound area (including the Stawamus River), the Sunshine Coast, and the Fraser Valley.