How can you see Friday's 'Magical' Blood Moon?

An image of the moon during a partial lunar eclipse shows it in a shade of red, caused by the lack of light hitting its surface. It is surrounded by the black openness of space.

Image source, ReutersImage caption,

If clouds do not get in the way, high ground will be the best place to see the partial lunar eclipse from

ByJames DiamondWest of England

Published36 minutes ago

Stargazers across the West have a chance to see a rare Blood Moon this week, with the Sun, Earth and Moon set to line up in the night sky just weeks after the UK experienced its most dramatic partial solar eclipse in nearly 30 years.

A partial lunar eclipse will take place in the early hours of Friday, when the Moon enters Earth's darkest shadow. The lack of light hitting the Moon will give it an eerie reddish glow.

Adding to the spectacle, its position in the sky will be low on the horizon, causing a phenomenon known as the 'Moon Illusion', when it appears much larger than normal.

Jonathan Hall, from the Bath Astronomers Society, said: "I think they [Blood Moon's] have a certain sort of magical feeling about them."

When can I see the partial lunar eclipse?

The Moon will begin to enter the Earth's darkest shadow, known as the umbra, at around 03:33 BST on Friday morning.

The Blood Moon will be at its most stark across the West at about 05:12 BST, when around 90% of the Moon will be within the umbra.

At this point the Moon will also be very low in the south-western sky, which will make it appear much larger than is usually the case.

"It's a slight optical illusion," Hall said.

"The lower the moon appears above the horizon, the bigger it can appear to the human eye. Although in honesty if you measured it, it's a fraction of a difference.

"But it can look quite spectacular."

Where to see it

As with any kind of lunar event, getting to high ground will give you the best chance of a great view.

That means places like Troopers Hill, Perrett's Park or the Clifton Observatory could be good spots in Bristol, or Lansdown Hill in Bath.

In Gloucestershire options include Robinswood Hill, Leckhampton Hill or Crickley Hill Country Park, while if you're in Somerset, you could go for Glastonbury Tor, the Mendips or Brean Down.

In Wiltshire there is the Westbury White Horse, Hackpen Hill or Salisbury Plain.

However, after long periods of clear skies this summer, the forecast for Friday morning is not overly positive.

Stephen Dixon from the Met Office said: "The weather will be gradually turning more unsettled later this week, with frequent periods of rain and cloud for many.

"Late Thursday evening – before midnight - could see a brief visibility window for some in the southwest, but cloud is likely to increasingly hinder viewings through much of the night from the West, though it's not possible to rule out the odd clearer spell at times."

So to get a great view, might take some luck.

"Maybe set the alarm for 3am and just poke your head out the window and see what you think the chances are," Hall said.