A rare total lunar eclipse “blood moon” is taking place night for the first time since 2022 where the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon – making it turn red
Maps show that Brits in many parts of the UK are set to get a good view of a rare total lunar eclipse “blood moon” tonight.
It is the first time since 2022 that people in the UK will be able to see the spectacle as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. It means that the moon is set to turn a deep, dark red – sometimes called a “blood moon”.
And for stargazers they are in for a treat in many areas as the heavy rain and storms will have cleared in time to see the full moon. Much of England and Wales will see spells without clouds into the night, so should have good viewing conditions, the Met Office said. And where skies are clear, the eclipse will be visible from around 7.30pm.
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Parts of northern England and Scotland will hold on to cloudier skies and outbreaks of heavy rain into the evening and overnight, so there is likely to be poorer visibility, the forecaster added. The eclipse will begin while the moon is still below the horizon in the UK, meaning that it will already be in total eclipse as it rises.
Maps from WXCharts shows that there are rain clouds over the north west of England and most of Scotland currently while there are also patches in central England and the south west.
The Met Office recommends people keen to see the phenomenon plan to be somewhere with as clear a view of the eastern horizon as possible, ready for the lunar eclipse to peak in the UK at 7.33pm. In built-up areas, this might mean going to a hill or viewpoint.
The moon will continue to slowly move out of the Earth’s shadow until 9.55pm, meaning you have around 2 hours and 22 minutes to catch a glimpse of the rare spectacle in our skies. The eclipse will be visible to the naked eye and unlike solar eclipses is safe to view directly as the moon’s reflected light is not as bright.
The Met Office recommends people keen to see the phenomenon plan to be somewhere with as clear a view of the eastern horizon as possible, ready for the lunar eclipse to peak in the UK at 7.33pm. In built-up areas, this might mean going to a hill or viewpoint. The eclipse will be visible to the naked eye and unlike solar eclipses is 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 will rise over the UK just in time for people to see the tail end of the eclipse. “The Moon is pretty unmistakable in the sky, so the most important thing is to face the right direction,” Dr Bloomer said. “It’ll be rising towards the east, and head southwards over the course of the night.
“As it rises, the most important thing will be whatever is low on your horizon. A flat landscape, or an elevated position makes for the best visibility – literally so there aren’t things like buildings, trees, or other things in the way.
“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.