Total Eclipse Will Turn Moon Blood Red

Parts of the UK will be treated to the rare sight of a blood red full moon tonight due to a total lunar eclipse.


People seeing a blood red moon tonight should not be alarmed, it is a lunar eclipse

But star gazers will only be able to catch the tail end of the lunar spectacle. Although the eclipse begins at 6.24pm and lasts until midnight, it will only be visible in the UK when the sun sets at 9.19pm. The moon will become blood red in colour for nearly two hours.

For people in the UK hoping to enjoy the spectacle, the weather along with light pollution in built up areas will be the deciding factors. Unlike eclipses of the sun the moon's eclipse can be viewed directly without any type of special glasses or filters.

Joanna Robinson, of the Sky News weather team, said: "There will be a fair amount of cloud around tonight, particularly across England, where any chances of seeing the night sky will be limited and brief. Much of Scotland and Wales will be cloudy as well, but western areas will see clear spells for a time, so there's a good chance there. The best place to catch the lunar eclipse will be across Ireland, where the skies will remain fairly clear this evening. Having said that, the sun will set here later, therefore you will only really catch the very end of the eclipse."


The moon in various stages of a total lunar eclipse, Mexico city December 21, 2010

Tonight's will be the first total lunar eclipse since 2000 with people in the eastern half of Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and western Australia able to enjoy the entire event. However, those in North America will miss out as the eclipse will happen during their daylight hours.
A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth, Sun and Moon all align and the Earth's shadow sweeps across the surface of the full Moon blocking out the Sun's direct light. Indirect sunlight that passes through the Earth's atmosphere has its blue elements filtered out giving the moon its spectacular red or orange appearance.

The next chance to see a total lunar eclipse will be in 2018 - weather permitting.

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Please, please, please post your photos if you manage to get any. I'm in Suffolk and it's very cloudy. I doubt we'll see much if anything

Cloudy as anything here too!

At least I managed to catch the I.S.S. last night!