The Artemis II rocket launch is less than two hours away - and many who haven't been able to head to the Kennedy Space Center to witness the historic event in person may be wondering if they will be so lucky to catch a glimpse of it. NASA has released a map showing the areas from which the launch, which is set to take place on April 1 at 11.24pm BST, may be seen with the naked eye.

Sadly, the rocket blasting off into space won't be visible from the UK, but several areas in and around Florida may be able to witness the event - if they are quick enough to look up. While actual visibility will depend on a variety of factors, such as the time of takeoff and weather conditions, the map below provides a handy guide.

According to NASA, the weather forecast shows an 80% chance of favourable weather conditions, with cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground as primary weather concerns.

Engineers and pad technicians have been carrying out final checks inside the spacecraft, removing any nonflight items and getting ready for the hatch to be closed.

The launch team reports no technical problems with either the Space Launch System booster or the Orion spacecraft, and the countdown continues to run smoothly toward tonight's planned liftoff.

The rocket's crew is made up of astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. They will be the first people to fly on the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft.

It was set to launch in February, but a helium leak was discovered, and it had to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral for repairs.

NASA says that from the Orion capsule, the Moon will appear about the size of a basketball held at arm's length, with a much smaller Earth visible behind it.

This vantage point will give the crew a firstever human view of the lunar south pole, a key target for future landing missions.

The astronauts are also expected to witness a rare total solar eclipse from the far side of the Moon, something no human has seen before.