tech
Best areas to see the Blood Moon as rare partial lunar eclipse to grace skies
A Blood Moon is due to light up the night sky in the early hours of Friday morning, with lucky Brits and US residents able to view the spectacle. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking direct sunlight from hitting the lunar surface and causes the Earth to cast a shadow on the Moon.
TL;DR
- A partial lunar eclipse, or Blood Moon, will occur early Friday morning.
- The eclipse begins at 3:33 am BST, peaking at 5:12 am BST with 90% of the Moon covered.
- The Met Office predicts cloudy conditions in the UK, but southern and eastern England may have the best view.
- In the US, the East Coast and parts of the Midwest will see the entire eclipse.
- A Blood Moon appears reddish because sunlight bends through Earth's atmosphere.
- No special equipment is needed to view the eclipse; naked-eye observation is sufficient.
- The penumbral phase starts at 2:23 am BST, the partial eclipse at 3:33 am BST, and the maximum at 5:12 am BST.
- The Moon will set before the eclipse concludes in the UK and Ireland.