Blood Moons And Lunar Eclipses In The UK – Answering Your Questions

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The moon is a fascinating thing to watch,  and this year had some special events. If you were wondering what is a blood moon or when the next lunar eclipse is, we are here to answer all of your questions.

Blood Moon

Blood moon is just another term for a total lunar eclipse. The term comes from the red color that the moon has once it is totally eclipsed. During a total lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow blocks the sunlight that would have otherwise lit the moon. That is because the sun, Earth and the moon are directly aligned.

The reddish color of the moon is caused by some of the light that manages to pass through the atmosphere of the Earth and gets bent towards the moon. The light is refracted through the shadow of the Earth.

The last lunar eclipse

The last blood moon or total lunar eclipse took place just a few days ago, on July 27. The eclipse was also visible in the United Kingdom and people were able to watch it for 103 minutes. The blood moon began at 7.30 pm and it ended around 9.10 pm. This lunar eclipse was the longest one set to occur this century. The eclipse could be seen by sky watchers from the Eastern Hemisphere,

If you missed this blood moon you shouldn’t worry too much. Another total lunar eclipse is on its way and we will be able to see it at the beginning of 2019. The next lunar eclipse should take place on January 21, 2019 and it will begin at 5.12 am and end at 6.51 am. There are two to four lunar eclipses each year, and usually half of the Earth can see each eclipse.

As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.