Moon set to turn red as rare partial lunar eclipse graces UK skies

BySophia Herod

BBC Weather

Skywatchers across the UK could have the chance to see a stunning partial lunar eclipse later this week as the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up in the night sky.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon is full which will take place in the early hours of 28 August. It may cause the full Moon - nicknamed the Sturgeon Moon - to take on an eerie reddish glow.

It comes just weeks after the UK experienced its most dramatic partial solar eclipse in nearly 30 years.

Adding to the spectacle, its position in the sky will be low on the horizon, causing a phenomenon known as the Moon illusion. This makes the Moon appear bigger and more dramatic than usual.

The eclipse will take place in the early hours of Friday 28 August.

The partial eclipse will begin at 03:33 BST in London, when the Moon enters Earth's darkest shadow.

It will reach its maximum at 05:12 BST, when around 90% of the Moon will be within the umbra.

By this point the Moon will be very low in the south-western sky, causing something known as the Moon illusion.

This is a term for when the Moon appears much larger than it is based on its position in the sky - an effect caused by the way our brains process visual information.

The effect is particularly noticeable during a moonrise or moonset, when the lunar disc is seen alongside familiar objects on the ground.

Exact Moonset times will vary across the UK.

In London, it will set and move out of sight at approximately 06:15 BST.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Moon to temporarily move into the Earth's shadow.

During a partial eclipse, only part of the Moon enters the darkest section of that shadow, known as the umbra.

The Moon is not completely cut off from sunlight, however.

Sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere is scattered, with shorter blue wavelengths scattering more easily, while more of the longer wavelength red light reach the Moon.

These wavelengths are then reflected back towards Earth, giving the eclipsed Moon its reddish colour.

For the best chance of seeing the eclipse, astronomers recommend finding a high location with an unobstructed view towards the south-western horizon.

Clear skies will, of course, be essential.

Viewing conditions are expected to vary considerably across the UK during the early hours of Friday morning.

With low pressure in charge, cloud and heavy showers are likely to affect some parts of the country, while other areas remain clear.

Currently, the best viewing conditions are expected across central and eastern parts of England and Wales. However, even here, the cloud cover could change a lot from one hour to the next and is very hard to forecast accurately.

You can check the latest hour-by-hour forecast where you are online or via the BBC Weather app.