Date and time of blood Moon partial lunar eclipse - why Moon will appear red and how to see it

A partial lunar eclipse - making the Moon appear red - will occur towards the end of August.

The UK was treated to the spectacular sight of a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August.

The eclipse reached its maximum after 7pm, with more than 90% of the Sun covered by the Moon.

People bought solar eclipse glasses to see it, while others used indirect viewing methods such as making a pinhole projector or using a calendar to project the Sun’s image.

A solar eclipse comes in a pair with a lunar eclipse, with a lunar eclipse always coming two weeks before or after a solar eclipse.

Here’s all you need to know on the upcoming partial lunar eclipse including when it is and why the Moon appears red.

What a partial lunar eclipse is

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, a partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the outer, lighter region of Earth’s shadow (the penumbra) and a section of it passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow (the umbra).

When the partial lunar eclipse is

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the British Isles in the early hours of the morning on Friday August 28. There will be a particularly large portion of the Moon in Earth's umbra at over 90%.

The whole of the British Isles will see the same percentage of the Moon in shadow.

At 2.33am, the penumbral part of the eclipse will begin - when the Moon moves into the lighter part of Earth's shadow (the penumbra). Royal Museums Greenwich says the darkening of the Moon will be subtle at first, before becoming more prominent as the Moon moves deeper into the penumbra.

The partial phase of the lunar eclipse will begin at 3.33am - when the Moon first moves into Earth's umbra (the darkest part of its shadow). The Moon will move further into the umbra until the maximum of the eclipse at 5.12am, with over 90% in the darkest part of the shadow.

The eclipse will end at about 6:51am, but the Moon will have set below the horizon before then, at around 6:15am in London (timings vary across the British Isles).

How to see the partial lunar eclipse

The Moon will become increasingly low on the horizon as the eclipse progresses, which could make the latter part difficult to see.

Royal Museum Greenwich suggests getting to a high vantage point with a clear view to the south-western horizon to see as much of this eclipse as possible.

Why the Moon appears red

The Moon will appear reddish during the eclipse’s maximum because it will be illuminated by sunlight that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and been refracted towards the Moon. The red hue is why lunar eclipses are often referred to as 'blood moons'.