Super blood moon delights skygazers
By Sophie Wingate, PA
Skygazers were treated to a dramatic super blood moon in the early hours of Monday.
In this year’s only full lunar eclipse, the moon turned a deep coppery red as it drifted into the shadow of the Earth.
The Earth’s atmosphere bends light from the sun, bathing the moon in a red hue.
The moon began entering the Earth’s shadow just after 2.30am, and started to darken considerably about an hour later, appearing as if it was becoming a waning crescent.
The best viewing time was between 4.29am-5.06am, when the moon was completely eclipsed.
The eclipse also coinciding with a supermoon, when the satellite is at its closest to the Earth during its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.
The blood moon is the first of its kind for two years.
