Tonight, sky gazers can witness a 'blood moon', a total lunar eclipse where the moon appears coppery red due to sunlight refracting through Earth's atmosphere. Visible only from night-time regions of North and South America, western Africa, and Europe, this celestial event does not require special viewing equipment. Professor Don Pollacco notes the eclipse will be best viewed after 5 am, while the last comparable event in the UK occurred in May 2022. Despite its nickname, 'blood moon' is not a formal term, instead highlighting the phenomenon where sunlight filters through the Earth’s shadow.
"The best time to see the eclipse will be sometime after 5am and before the sky gets too bright," said Professor Don Pollacco, astronomer at the University of Warwick.
"But instead a small amount of sunlight reaches the moon after passing through the Earth's atmosphere and this light is then reflected off the lunar surface making it visible to us on Earth."
"'Blood moon' is not a scientifically recognised term according to experts, but a nickname picked up due to its stunning red hue."
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