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Early-rising UK stargazers are in for a celestial treat later this week as a partial lunar eclipse takes place just before dawn on Friday.
Earth will cast its shadow over the Moon. Unlike in other parts of the world, the eclipse in the UK will only be partial but still a dramatic spectacle, weather permitting.
As the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow, it will gradually darken before turning a dusky red, resulting in a stunning “blood moon”.
The last total lunar eclipse in the UK occurred in 2022.
When is the lunar eclipse?
The penumbral phase (when the Moon first enters Earth’s outer shadow) will begin at 03:57 on Friday.
The partial eclipse – when the Moon starts moving into the darker part of Earth’s shadow – will begin at 05:09.
Lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon at the time.
At 06:58 the eclipse will reach its true maximum; however, in the UK, the Moon will have already set below the horizon, so we won’t be able to see this.
For those in North America, most of South America, and western Greenland, the eclipse will be total.
“Even if you have to get up super early to see it, I would definitely recommend that you try because seeing it in real life is really, really cool,” says Imo Bell, astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
What is a lunar eclipse and a blood moon?<div
The post Lunar eclipse to grace pre-dawn sky in the UK first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
