A Blood Moon will be visible in the UK on March 14 – but Brits who are keen to watch the spectacle, will need to set their alarms early. The Moon moves into the Earth’s penumbra – the lighter part of its shadow – at 3:57am.
Thankfully however, at 6:19am it’ll reach its peak, with the best viewing time for Brits at 6:58am. Blood Moon is not an official astronomical term. The actual scientific name of what will take place on March 14 is a partial lunar eclipse. The reason the phenomenon is called a Blood Moon is due to the coppery colour that sometimes appears to flood the moon during a partial lunar eclipse.
The event takes place when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are all in alignment. The Earth will be directly between the Sun and the Moon on March 14, which is why the event is taking place then.
Edward Bloomer, senior astronomy manager at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, has offered Brits a top tip for maximising the spectacle from Blood Moon.
“If you take photos and boost the colour, you can actually see a reddish sort of rainbow effect as the Moon moves into the umbra – you get pink and purple in there too,” he told The Sun.
Royal Museums Greenwich said: “Getting to a high point with a clear western view will allow you to see more of this eclipse.”
If you miss the Blood Moon, fear not, there is another lunar event taking place in the UK this year. In September, there will be a total lunar eclipse.
The last time the country got treated to such a sight was in 2019 and the next one won’t happen until December 2028, so it’s worth making the effort to see this year’s event.
The total lunar eclipse will take place on September 7 and will be at its maximum at 7:33pm.
