Blue Moon UK: When is the best time to see the Blue Moon in Britain tonight?

Stargazers around the globe today have been dazzled by the lunar phenomenon of a super blue blood moon.

It has not been seen for 150 years and is special because of three reasons.

There is a supermoon – when a full moon’s orbit is closest to earth – and it’s also the second full moon in a calendar month, meaning it’s a blue moon.

And many viewers in certain parts of the world were blessed with seeing a lunar eclipse.

This gives the moon a crimson glow, giving it the name blood moon.

When is the best time to see the Blue Moon in Britain tonight?

Sadly, skywatchers in the UK were not fortunate enough to see the total lunar eclipse earlier but they can still see the blue moon tonight.

Dr Gregory Brown at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said the best time to view the super blue moon will be in the early hours of tomorrow.

He said: “It will be high in the sky from about 7pm and will be at its highest, and thus best, time at around 12.40am.

“This coming full moon is unusual in that it is the second full moon of the month, when typically there is only one full moon per calendar month.

“Also, the full moon will be slightly larger than normal given that this is also a supermoon, so astrophotography will be more spectacular than normal.”

Despite weather conditions being wet, Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said there will be patches of clear skies throughout the night so people should remain patient.

He said: “Even if you go out and have cloudy skies don’t give up hope – you may be able to get a good view later in the night.”

Stargazers do not need any special equipment to view the lunar spectacular.

You can have a look through binoculars or a telescope but the Observatory says it is not really necessary.

Astronomy enthusiasts who plan on waiting up will have to wrap up warm though as temperatures are expected to fall overnight to freezing, with even lower temperatures expected in rural areas.

Stargazers North America, Hawaii, India, Australia and parts of the middle east have all witnessed the super blue blood moon already.