Lunar Eclipse July 2018: Does eclipse affect human bodies?

Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere will light the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red.

This visibility of the lunar eclipse in India is expected to be pretty good but cloudy sky and inclement weather are likely to hurt the chances of being able to watch the phenomenon. Still, these dramatic celestial events have inspired both awe and alarm throughout the centuries ― including among some fringe segments of American Christianity that take the appearance of blood moons to be a sign that the apocalypse is drawing nearer.

This month, Mars will be at its closest to Earth since 2003.

Will the blood moon be visible in the UK?

The moon will also be at the farthest point on its orbit from Earth, making its movement across the sky slower from our perspective, thus spending longer in the dark.

"One would think that after a few blood moons and lunar eclipses in history, people would recognize that such an event does not by itself mean that the end is coming".

At the same time, Mars will hover near the moon in the night sky, easily visible with the naked eye.

Taking steps such as using a tripod to minimise vibrations and integrating the moon with the surroundings to give a sense of scale and place can lead to great photos.

‘Blood moon’: How to watch the longest lunar eclipse of the century

According to Space.com, a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves into the earth's shadow.

Andrew Fabian, professor of astronomy at Cambridge University, explained that light from the sun goes through the earth's atmosphere on its way to the moon.

What's particularly remarkable about this month's lunar eclipse is how long its totality phase will last.

A shorter total lunar eclipse occurred on January 31 this year. The long duration of this eclipse is partly due to the fact that the moon will make a near-central passage through Earth's umbra - the darkest, most central part of the shadow.

What is the blood moon prophecy?

Where skies are clear of cloud, the spectacle will be visible nearly everywhere around the world, with the exception of North America.

Skygazers hoping to see the rare "blood moon" in the United Kingdom last night were left disappointed as clouds largely obscured the celestial phenomenon.

The Met Office has warned there is a potential for showers to develop across the eastern half of the United Kingdom so the best places to observe the celestial event will be towards the western parts of the country.