(Image: SHANE DEW)
Skygazers are in for another cosmic event just weeks after the summer’s partial solar eclipse.
A partial lunar eclipse will be visible across the UK in the early hours of Friday, August 28, around two weeks after the solar eclipse on August 12.
More than 90 per cent of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s shadow during the event.
According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the eclipse will begin at 2.33am when the Moon enters the lighter part of Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra.
The darkening of the Moon will be subtle at first, before becoming more prominent as the Moon moves deeper into the penumbra.
The more dramatic partial phase starts at 3.33am when the Moon moves into the umbra, the darkest part of the shadow.
The eclipse will reach its peak at 5.12am.
Although the event officially ends at 6.51am, the Moon will have set below the horizon before then.
In the North East, moonset will occur at around 6.18am, with timings varying slightly across the country.
Royal Museums Greenwich recommends finding a high vantage point with a clear view of the south-western horizon to maximise visibility.
During the peak of the eclipse, the Moon will take on a reddish tint.
This is caused by sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere and being refracted onto the lunar surface.
This dramatic effect is why lunar eclipses are sometimes called "blood moons."
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Lunar and solar eclipses typically occur in pairs, with one usually following the other by about two weeks.
The partial lunar eclipse follows the August 12 solar eclipse, during which more than 90 per cent of the Sun was obscured by the Moon.
Both events have offered skywatchers a rare opportunity to witness celestial phenomena.