Blood moon 2026 - live: Moon turns blood red across UK in stunning lunar eclipse

The spectacular phenomenon happens when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Around 93% of the Moon moved into the darkest part of Earth's shadow, known as the umbra, when the eclipse reached its peak at around 5.12am.

The show was made all the more spectacular by a phenomenon known as a the "Moon Illusion" where the moon's position in the sky made it appear larger than normal.

Cloud made viewing difficult in parts of the UK but multiple areas were able to grab a glimpse of the incredible event, including Oxfordshire and Kent.

The Moon was seen as a small red slither over the city of Athens, Greece.

Yes, you can still capture the final moments of the eclipse from the UK!

In London, moonset is expected at around 6.15am. Viewers in the UK and Ireland will therefore not see the eclipse through to its conclusion, with the partial phase ending at around 6.51am.

The Moon appeared a spectacular shade of red from Oxfordshire prior to the peak of the lunar eclipse.

The partial lunar eclipse can be seen across Pegwell Bay in Ramsgate, Kent in the early hours of Friday.

The Moon was obscured by Earth’s shadow, with around 93% of its visible diameter covered at the eclipse’s peak.

Earth's umbra is the dark, central cone of the shadow that the earth casts into space when it blocks sunlight.

A partial lunar eclipse is seen above the stadium lights during the second half of a preseason NFL football game between the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, in Cleveland.

Photos from across the world show the moon during the early stages of the eclipse.

The Moon has been captured from London, as the lunar eclipse is yet to reach its peak.

In London, moonset is expected at around 6.15am, with timings varying elsewhere.