Pictured: Total lunar eclipse ‘Blood Moon’ spotted in skies above Britain
A total lunar eclipse “blood moon” was visible from parts of the UK on Sunday evening.
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The country’s stargazers got the chance to see the rare spectacle for the first time since 2022.
The Moon turned a deep, dark red – sometimes called a “blood moon” – as the Earth passed directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface.
According to the Met Office, the Moon took on a reddish hue because it was illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and had been bent back towards the Moon by refraction, scattering blue light and allowing red wavelengths to reach the Moon.
Where skies were clear, the eclipse was visible at around 7.30pm.
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The eclipse was visible to the naked eye and unlike solar eclipses was safe to view directly as the Moon’s reflected light is not as bright.
Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the Moon rose over the UK just in time for people to see the tail end of the eclipse.
He said: "A lunar eclipse like this is a great opportunity for observing with kids too. It isn’t too late for us in the UK, the target is nice and easy and minute by minute you will notice changes (good for short attention spans).”
The Royal Observatory Greenwich said the next partial lunar eclipse will not be until August 2026.
