SEEING RED
Blood moon 2018 – when’s the next total lunar eclipse in the UK and how often do they occur?
FULL moons and lunar eclipses have long been associated with various legends, myths and dark apocalyptic theories.
But what exactly is a Blood Moon and when did the UK last experience one?
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What is a blood moon?
The term blood moon is not a scientific term but one coined colloquially.
It refers to a total lunar eclipse because, when the moon is completely eclipsed it takes on a reddish colour.
During this eclipse, direct sunlight is completely blocked by the Earth's shadow.
The moon may turn a red or coppery colour during the total portion of an eclipse.
The red moon is possible because while the moon is in total shadow, some light from the sun passes through Earth's atmosphere and is bent toward the moon.
The only light which can be seen is refracted through the Earth's shadow and this light looks red just like with the sunset.
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When was the last total lunar eclipse or blood moon and when is the next one?
The most recent total lunar eclipse which was visible in the UK was on July 27, 2018.
Brits were able to view the moon for around 103 minutes as the moon moved through the Earth's shadow.
The total lunar eclipse began at roughly at 7.30pm and ended around 9.10pm.
And for anyone who missed the spectacular event, they don't actually have too long to wait as another one is heading our way in January 2019.
Most of the world will get to see a lunar eclipse on the January 20-21.
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How often do they occur?
There are roughly two to four lunar eclipses every year, according to NASA, and each one is visible over about half the Earth.
If you missed the one on July 27, you'll have to wait a while as the next is due on January 21, 2019, and the entire blood moon will be visible from the UK.
It will start at 5.12am and end at 6.51am.
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