Lucky Cumbrian stargazers captured a partial lunar eclipse on camera this morning.
The eclipse was visible for most of the UK from around 5am this morning and was at peak visibility at around 6.30am.
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, where it blocks sunlight and casts a shadow on the Moon.
As the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, it creates a ‘blood Moon’ which is named so as it causes it to appear a dusky red.
Paul Grindley, of Brampton, was able to photograph the rare lunar event this morning.
He said while it was a chilly experience, it was worth it for the picture.
Paul added: “The moon was quite low in the sky this morning so I headed onto Athe Ridge in Brampton to get a bit more height.
“The camera was my new Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ82D bridge camera, which I have owned for less than two weeks, so I am only just getting used to it.
“It was great to see the eclipse, it was only visible for a short time as about 10 minutes after I took the shot, a bank of cloud had rolled in.
“I have shot a few eclipses before and love to see the splendour of the natural world. It is always good to get the shot as I have ventured out in the dead of night a few times and have not seen a thing due to the cloud.”
A blood moon is only visible when a full lunar eclipse happens – but from the UK, only a partial eclipse was visible this morning.
However, some western areas of the UK may have been able to see the full spectacle as well as the Americas and some Pacific islands.
It is the first full lunar eclipse event since 2022.
Did you manage to capture the partial eclipse? We’d love to see your pictures and hear your stories! Email us at [email protected]
