The UK will be treated to the rare sight of a blood moon appearing in the sky in the next few weeks.
This strange sight is the result of a partial lunar eclipse, in which the full moon passes out of the sun’s rays and into the shadow cast by the Earth.
The phenomenon will create shades of red, pink and orange visible from earth.
A partial lunar eclipse is expected to be visible from the UK, North, South America and Europe next month, on Thursday March 13 and Friday March 14.
How much of the eclipse viewers see will depend on their exact location. A penumbral eclipse, when the moon passes into the earth’s outer shadow. will begin before going into partial and then full across the course of about six hours.
The phase where the blood moon phenomenon can be seen will last just over an hour, according to tracking website Time and Date.
People in North and South America will see the process in its entirety, those in Europe will see the beginning an middle phases and those in Asia will see the end, astrologers predict.
Those in the UK won’t see the eclipse in its totality so viewers will need look up at the sky early in the morning to see the transformation.
The eclipse will begin at 3:57am on 14 March and hit its peak at 6:58am – when it has set below the horizon in the UK.
This means the best time for Britons in London to witness the phenomenon will be at 6:19am, a few minutes after sunrise, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
Later in the year, another total eclipse will occur on September 7.
A blood moon is not dangerous to look at. Unlike a solar eclipse, which is too bright to look at directly and must be viewed with special eye protection or via its reflection or shadow, the moon is merely reflecting the sun’s rays and is safe to gaze upon.
