![\"Partial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0_Partial-lunar-eclipse-casting-red-glow-on-Moon.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe UK is set to see a lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, in just a few days – and you’ll need to set an alarm at one very specific time of day if you want to see it<\/p>\n
You’ll need to set an alarm to see this lunar eclipse (stock photo)(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Stargazers across the UK are in for a treat this week, with a stunning lunar eclipse set to light up the pre-dawn sky. It comes hot on the heels of a remarkable few weeks for astronomy<\/a> enthusiasts, as earlier this month, a partial solar eclipse<\/a> drew millions of people outdoors, blocking out close to 90% of the sun in what was the most impressive such event seen from Britain since 1999.<\/p>\n That very same night, the Perseid meteor shower was also at its peak<\/a>, delivering a dazzling display of shooting stars overhead. Now, attention turns to the moon, with astronomy expert<\/a> Daisy Dobrijevic taking to social media<\/a> to alert skywatchers to what she describes as one of the finest lunar eclipses the UK will experience for years to come.<\/p>\n What is a lunar eclipse, and why does the moon turn red?<\/p>\n A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves into a position directly between the sun and the moon, blocking most of the sun’s light from reaching the lunar surface.<\/p>\n The result is a dramatic dimming of the moon, but the spectacle does not stop there. Rather than disappearing entirely into darkness, the moon often takes on a deep reddish-orange glow, which is why these events are popularly known as blood moons.<\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n The eerie colouration occurs because small amounts of sunlight still manage to reach the moon by travelling through the Earth’s atmosphere. As they do so, shorter wavelength light, including blue and violet hues, is scattered away, leaving only the warmer red and orange tones to illuminate the lunar surface.<\/p>\n Lunar eclipses are far more common than their solar counterparts, taking place somewhere on Earth between two and five times each year. However, from any single location, a total lunar eclipse is typically visible only once every two and a half years, a figure that starkly contrasts with the frequency of a total solar eclipse as seen from the same spot, which can take 300 to 400 years to happen.<\/p>\n When is the lunar eclipse and what can we expect?<\/p>\n The upcoming eclipse is due to take place on Friday, 28th August, and while it is technically classified as a partial eclipse, Daisy is keen to stress that the label should not put people off.<\/p>\n In her Instagram video, she explained: “The UK is about to get one of its best lunar eclipses for the next couple of years. On the 28th of August, the moon is going to pass through the Earth’s shadow, creating a deep, partial lunar eclipse. And don’t let the word partial fool you \u2014 this one could look seriously impressive.<\/p>\n “At maximum eclipse, around 93% of the moon will be inside Earth’s dark central shadow, leaving just a thin sliver untouched. In fact, this could be one of the best lunar eclipses we’ll see from the UK for the next couple of years. We don’t see another total lunar eclipse until December 31st, 2028.<\/p>\n “Because sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere can still reach the eclipsed part of the moon, much of it could take on that beautiful reddish-orange colour we associate with the total lunar eclipse, or blood moon.”<\/p>\n How to watch the lunar eclipse from the UK<\/p>\n Witnessing the eclipse will require a degree of commitment – and an early night. The event is not expected to get underway until around 3:30 am on Friday morning, meaning those hoping to catch it will need to sacrifice several hours of sleep. The eclipse will then build towards its peak at approximately 5 am.<\/p>\n This means that if you want to catch the eclipse, you’ll need to set your alarm for around 3 am, so that you can wake up, get a much-needed coffee, and head to your preferred viewing spot.<\/p>\n Daisy added: “If you’re in the UK, you can see it, but you’re going to need to set an early alarm. The partial eclipse begins around 3:30 am, and by around 10 past five, it will be close to its deepest point as seen from the UK.<\/p>\n “The catch is that by then, the moon will be getting pretty low on the western sky, so you want somewhere with a nice, clear view towards the horizon.”<\/p>\n The good news, however, is that unlike the recent solar eclipse, no specialist equipment is needed to watch safely. There is no requirement for eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors – simply find a good vantage point, wrap up warm, and look west.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The UK is set to see a lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, in just a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":750317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1813,7658,59,90,56,54,55,2259],"class_list":["post-750316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-astronomy","tag-expert-advice","tag-gb","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-viral"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}