Early risers across the UK will be treated to the stunning visual of a lunar eclipse later this week.
It will begin shortly before dawn on Friday 14 March and can be best viewed around 06:20 GMT, although these times will vary depending on where you are. The eclipse's actual maximum is at 06:58 GMT, but for many Britons the Moon will have already set below the horizon at this time.
For some people, particularly those in the west of the UK, a total lunar eclipse should be visible with the naked eye – weather permitting – while others in the east and south east of England will only see a partial lunar eclipse because the Moon won’t be completely within the Earth's shadow by the time it sets.
Either way, skywatchers should see the Moon take on an "eerie" reddish hue as sunlight gets through the Earth's atmosphere and is bent back towards the lunar surface by refraction.
The Moon will first move into Earth's penumbra, which is the outer region of its shadow, at 03:57 GMT, before passing through the umbra – the darkest part of its shadow – shortly after 05:00 GMT.
A total lunar eclipse should be visible from around 06:20-07:00 GMT, but only if you can spot the Moon before it sets.
If you can, it will appear as though our lunar satellite has had "a bite taken out of it", according to Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"During the penumbral eclipse the Moon takes on this weird yellowish colour and gets progressively a bit darker – it looks slightly strange," he said in an explainer video.
"In the umbral phase it’s like it's got a bite taken out of it and as that progresses you notice that bite has quite a reddish colour because light from the Sun is getting through the Earth's atmosphere.
"If you see the Moon during totality and it's high enough above the horizon, and the sky isn't too bright, then you'll notice a really eerie brick red colour Moon hanging in the sky."
No specialist equipment is needed but you'll need a clear night with no clouds and ideally you want to be away from any artificial light in towns and cities.
Unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses are fine to see with the naked eye because they don't get any brighter than a full Moon.
"The great thing about a lunar eclipse is it's perfectly safe to look at," Dr Massey says. "This isn’t like worrying about looking at the Sun.
"At maximum brightness, when the Moon isn't eclipsed at all, it's only as bright as the full Moon [so] you can enjoy it with your eyes, or better still pick up a pair of binoculars and look at it through those."
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon and the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. If you were on the lunar surface, you would see Earth largely block out the Sun, with just a ring of light surrounding our silhouetted planet.
It differs from a solar eclipse, which takes place when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, causing our lunar satellite to cast a shadow on Earth.
Solar and lunar eclipses each take place between two and five times every year, with a total solar eclipse occurring every 18 months or so and a total lunar eclipse roughly once every two-and-a-half years, on average.
However, there isn't long to wait to see a solar eclipse, as a partial one will be visible from the UK between around 10:00 and 12:00 GMT on Saturday 29 March.
If you manage to get a good picture of the lunar eclipse this week, why not share it with us via our social media accounts. You can find us on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
ENDS
Media contacts
Sam Tonkin
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699
Video, images and captions
How and when to see March’s lunar eclipse
Caption: Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, explains the best way to catch the lunar eclipse on Friday 14 March.
Credit: Royal Astronomical Society
Caption: What the lunar eclipse will look like from around 05:30 GMT.
Credit: Stellarium
Caption: In the umbral phase, it will look as though the Moon has had a bite taken out of it. This is how the lunar eclipse will appear at around 05:45 GMT.
Credit: Stellarium
Caption: A total lunar eclipse should be visible from around 06:20-07:00 GMT, when the Moon will take on an “eerie” reddish hue as depicted here in an animation.
Credit: Stellarium
Notes for editors
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