A unique blood moon lunar eclipse is coming to the UK - here's the best time to see it

12 March 2025, 17:09

What is a blood moon? And how often is there one? Here's everything you need to know about the rare astronomical event happening this March.

The UK is in for a treat this week as a rare and unique blood moon will be taking place across our skies.

The lunar eclipse will see the moon turn red in the incredible astronomical event which is said to only happen a handful of times a year.

For those living in the UK, viewers will only be able to see a partial eclipse, weather dependent, but is said to still be enough to justify the early morning get up.

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So when is the blood moon happening and what time is best to view it? Here's everything you need to know including what causes it and how often it happens.

What is a blood moon and what causes it?

A blood moon is also known as a lunar eclipse but people call it that because of the way the Moon can turn red in colour.

It's caused by the Earth passing between the moon and the sun (the eclipse) with the colour red happening because of the limited light coming through the Earth's atmosphere to reflect off the moon.

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A process known as 'Rayleigh scattering', Imo Bell, an astronomy education assistant at the Observatory told Sky News: "This is due to the scattering of bluer hues in the sun's light through our atmosphere, leaving only oranges and reds to reach the moon - the same reason we get reddish sunrises and sunsets."

When is the blood moon in the UK and what time will it be visible?

For those excited to see what a blood moon is, you'll be able to see it on Friday 14th March. The eclipse will start happening, and will be visible, from around 3.57am. It will be at its brightest and best at 5.09am.

Experts say the maximum eclipse in London and surrounding areas will be at 6.19am. Of course, visibility depends on the weather conditions.

Outside of the UK, in North and South America, the full lunar eclipse will be visible at 6.58pm but will sadly already be below the horizon here for us to see.

The brilliant blood moon will be visible to the naked eye, with no need for any extra fancy equipment.

How often are blood moon lunar eclipses?

According to the Observatory, a blood moon occurs between two and five times a year which will be visible from somewhere on Earth.

As the Moon's path is tilted around our planet, it means the eclipse doesn't happen every month as it doesn't always get in Earth's shadow. It's also very rarely visible in the UK.

When is the next blood moon?

The next blood moon lunar eclipse is due on September 7th although the view from the UK is expected to be very limited. This is due to the time of year and how low the moon will be in the night sky.

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