Blood moon lunar eclipse 2026 live: 'Earth's shadow' seen across UK at peak time

A “blood moon” lunar eclipse is set to be visible across the UK and Ireland in the early hours of Friday, with the Moon expected to turn a reddish or copper colour.

The phenomenon happens when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Around 93% of the Moon will move into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra, at the eclipse’s maximum at 5.12am.

The penumbral phase begins at 2.23am, before the partial eclipse starts at 3.33am.

Cloud could make viewing difficult in parts of the UK, with the Met Office saying southern and eastern England have the greatest chance of seeing the earlier stages before cloud becomes more extensive.

The Moon will begin to set at around 6.15am in London , while no protective glasses are needed to watch the eclipse. The spectacle comes just over two weeks after the UK experienced a near-total solar eclipse

The best place to watch the eclipse this morning is on a hill or at a coastline, provided local weather conditions are suitable.

The Moon’s low position also means that even where there are gaps in the cloud, cloud close to the horizon could obscure the event.

The Moon started entering the lighter outer part of Earth’s shadow at 2.23am.

At the beginning of the event, cloud is forecast across Cornwall and Devon, Wales, the Midlands, parts of northwest England, and most of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Patchier cloud is expected across northeast England.

Therefore the best initial viewing opportunities are likely to be across southern and eastern England.

These areas are expected to remain relatively cloud-free from around 2am.

The live feed is expected to show views of the eclipse from a number of locations around the world.

The eclipse will begin at 2.23am, when the Moon begins entering the lighter outer part of Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra.

By 3.33am, part of its surface will move into the darker umbra as the partial phase gets under way.