Blood moon shines in skies across globe after Total Lunar Eclipse

A blood moon, which occurs when the Moon turns red after a lunar eclipse,was partially visible in the UK on Friday soon before sunrise.

Only a partial lunar eclipse was visible in the UK, with only a portion of the moon appearing red, as the moon had already sunk below the horizon at the time of the full lunar eclipse at 6.58am, reported Sky News.

However, those in North and South America were able to see the Total Lunar Eclipse, and amazing photos were taken from those locations.

The term "blood moon" came from the Moon's gradual darkening as it passed into Earth's shadow and finally turned red.

During a partial lunar eclipse, a dark area appears on the Moon while the Sun, Earth, and Moon are nearly, but not quite, aligned.

There are very few occasions during the year when a blood moon occurs. The Moon turned entirely crimson during the most recent Total Lunar Eclipse, which occurred in May 2022.

Astronomer Jake Foster, at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: "When the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, the only sunlight that can reach the Moon must first pass through the Earth's atmosphere.

"As sunlight enters the atmosphere, different wavelengths (and therefore colours) of light will be scattered and bounced around by differing amounts. Blue light scatters a great deal, which is why our skies are blue," he added.