Moon performs a vanishing act
From Camberley to Cape Town, Islington to Islamabad, eyes looked skywards to watch the moon turn a magnificent shade of red.
A lunar eclipse is a sight not often seen - but, typically, the British weather meant many people would have missed last night's display between
8.52pm and 10.08pm.
Cloudy skies ensured only fleeting glimpses could be seen of the moon turning an eerie blood-red as the earth's shadow moved across its face. As the sky darkened, a dim reddish-brown moon should have been visible climbing slowly above the south-eastern horizon.
The moon does not become invisible during an eclipse, but appears a dark colour - usually a shade of brown, coppery-red or orange. This is because the earth's atmosphere diverts some sunlight - most of it red light - into the shadow.
The moon's colour varies from eclipse to eclipse, according to how much dust is in the atmosphere.
In ancient times, the eerie sight was viewed as a portent of doom or an omen from the gods. For centuries, the Chinese thought that when the moon disappeared it was because it was being eaten by a dragon.
Dr Jacqueline Mitton of the Royal Astronomical Society said: "Lunar eclipses are a fascinating and beautiful phenomenon, and no two are quite alike."
They occur at full moon and when the sun, earth and moon are in a nearperfect line in space so that the moon travels through the earth's long shadow.
Cloud swathed Scotland, Northern Ireland and south-west England during the eclipse. Across the rest of the country it should have been visible for at least part of the time. Areas in the east of England had the best chance of spotting it.
