The most spectacular lunar eclipse in more than a decade took place on Saturday night.

The first total eclipse of the Moon in three years was visible across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as clouds cleared to leave clear skies. The surface of the full Moon first went dark and then turned a coppery red, to the delight of those who had stayed up to watch.

The Moon started to become obscured at 8.18pm and was in shadow fully between 10.44pm and 11.48pm. The eclipse occurred because the Earth passed directly between the Moon and the Sun. Light that was scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere was altered to predominantly red wave-lengths, which reflected off the lunar surface.

In ancient times a “blood Moon” was viewed with dread and was seen as an omen of disaster or great change.

This year’s lunar eclipse could be seen most clearly from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The event was regarded by astronomers as one of the most memorable in more than 15 years.

Dr Ian Morison, from the Jodrell Bank Observatory at the University of Manchester, said: “If the Earth had no atmosphere the Moon would become invisible when it fully enters the Earth’s shadow. However, light refracted and scattered through the atmosphere can still illuminate the Moon, though with far reduced brightness. If there were astronauts on the surface of the Moon looking towards the Earth during a total lunar eclipse, they would see a black disc surrounded by a bright red ring. It is the light from this ring that we see reflected by the Moon’s surface.”

The reason that an eclipse does not happen every time there is a full Moon is that the orbit of the Moon is inclined at five degrees to the Earth’s path around the Sun. As a result, the Earth’s shadow usually passes above or below the Moon.

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