When and where to see the next ‘Blood Moon’ lunar eclipse

We all know that the Moon is made of Swiss cheese – but you might mistake it for Red Leicester in a couple of months.

Lowly Earthlings are about to get their first chance this year of seeing a lunar eclipse – including in London.

North, South America and Europe will all see the rare astronomical event which causes a ‘Blood Moon’ in March.

But depending on where on the planet you are will decide what kind of eclipse you see.

What is a blood moon?

Lunar eclipses are the elaborate, delicate dance between the Earth, Sun and Moon.

The Earth has two shadows. The darkest, central shadow is called the umbra, while scientists know the outer shadow as the penumbral.

Because the Earth is larger than the Moon, the blue marble’s shadow can envelop the entire lunar surface.

A penumbral lunar eclipse is the first phase of a lunar eclipse and is when our nighttime neighbour passes the Earth’s penumbra.

Then a partial lunar eclipse will follow as the Earth’s shadow slowly gobbles up the Moon.

A total lunar eclipse sees the Moon swallowed up by the umbra whole. As the Moon drifts away, a second partial and penumbral lunar eclipse will follow.

A Blood Moon happens because a tiny streak of sunlight skims the Earth’s atmosphere during this, projecting the colours of the sunset like a movie projector onto a white sheet.

So instead of the usual pale look, the Moon is splattered with colours like pale red or burnt orange.

When is the Blood Moon?

Depending on where you live, either March 13 or 14 (the day of the Full Moon).

The eclipse will start as a penumbral one before going into partial and then full across the course of about six hours. Totality – when the Moon is blood red and in the deepest shadow – will last just over an hour.

So, if you poke your head out the window and see nothing happening, don’t worry. You just need to be a little patient.

North and South America will see the entire eclipse, Europe the beginning of the penumbral and partial phases while Asia will catch the tail-end.

Only one in 10 people worldwide will see the entire eclipse from beginning to end, according to Time and Date.

Instead, you might have to settle with the Moon turning a little dusky pink before the Sun rises and you can’t see it at all.

For eclipse hunters in the UK, you won’t see the totality but will be able to see the penumbral phase.

You’ll need to set an early alarm to see the eerie copper-red moon, though, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

The Moon will first slide into Earth’s penumbra at 3.57am EST on March 14.

Londoners will have their best shot at seeing the blood-red moon at 6.19am a few minutes after sunrise and the working day begins.

This is because the eclipse’s peak is at 6.58am when the Moon will have sadly set below the horizon. 

In Europe, only the western UK, Ireland, Portugal, central Spain, and northwestern France will see the totality.

Western and Central Europe will be able to see the partial eclipse just before the Moon sets and the Sun rises for about 75 minutes.

How can I see the Blood Moon?

Pretty easily, actually. Depending on your vantage point and the amount of dust, clouds and pollution in the atmosphere, you should be able to see this otherworldly light show with the naked eye.

Since the Earth’s shadow removes the Moon’s glare, our cosmic companion will be easier to look at than normal.

You likely won’t need a telescope, binoculars or eclipse glasses. But observational equipment can be used if you want to see the subtleties of the Moon’s colour change – seeing the grey craters, valleys, and mountains go scarlet.

If you live in a city, the skies might be an orange glow most days but because of the not-as-cosmically-fun light pollution.

City observers can use maps like this one to see what the darkest location near them is.

If you can’t catch the lunar eclipse, many space agencies, observatories and stargazer websites host live streams you can tune into.

When will the next lunar eclipse be?

A second total lunar eclipse will occur on September 7-8, this one best seen from Asia.

People in the US will miss out on this cosmic song and dance altogether, but Britons should be able to see it during moonrise.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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