How can you see Friday's 'Magical' Blood Moon?
A blood red moon may be visible in the early hours of Friday during a partial lunar eclipse.
This Friday, sky watchers in the West have an opportunity to witness a rare Blood Moon phenomenon. As the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, the Moon will enter Earth's darkest shadow, creating an eerie red glow. The low positioning of the Moon in the sky will contribute to the Moon Illusion, making it appear larger than usual. Jonathan Hall, from the Bath Astronomers Society, describes Blood Moons as possessing a magical quality.
The eclipse will begin at 03:33 BST, with the most striking appearance occurring around 05:12 BST, when approximately 90% of the Moon will be within the Earth's umbra, the darkest part of its shadow. Although the Moon will appear larger due to its low position, this is merely an optical illusion. For the best view, stargazers should seek high ground locations such as Troopers Hill, Perrett's Park, or the Clifton Observatory in Bristol, and similar sites in other regions like Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
However, the weather forecast for Friday morning is not promising, with increasing cloud cover and rain potentially hindering the viewing experience.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
