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Partial lunar eclipse captured in stunning images around the world

On 28 October, the full moon had a red tinge for viewers in the UK, the rest of Europe and those in Asia and Africa, created by Earth's shadow

By Matthew Sparkes

30 October 2023

2T45H66 Partielle Mondfinsternis um 22:14 Uhr, Vollmond am Nachthimmel uber Munchen, 28. Oktober 2023 Deutschland, Munchen, 28. Oktober 2023, partielle Mondfinsternis am Nachthimmel uber Munchen, um 22:14 Uhr hat sich der Kernschatten der Erde maximal uber den Vollmond geschoben, eine kurze Wolkenlucke erlaubt den Blick auf das Himmelsspektakel, ein Teil des Mondes unten rechts ist angebissen, Nacht, nachts, *** Partial lunar eclipse at 22 14 oclock, full moon in the night sky over Munich, 28 October 2023 Germany, Munich, 28 October 2023, partial lunar eclipse in the night sky over Munich, at 22 14 o

The partial lunar eclipse on 28 October in Munich, Germany

Imago/Alamy

Photographers around the world captured stunning images of this weekend’s partial lunar eclipse. Such eclipses happen when the moon’s orbit around Earth brings both bodies in line with the sun – an event known as syzygy.

This one was fully visible from the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as from Asia and Africa, where people could see a “blood moon” partially turning red, while people in parts of North America, South America and Australia simply saw the moon darken.

The photograph above, captured in Munich, Germany, just after 10pm local time, was taken through a short gap in the local cloud cover and shows the shadow of Earth encroaching over the moon.

The eclipse was also seen in India

Salman Ali/Hindustan Times/Shutterstock

Another photo, taken from New Delhi, India, by photographer Salman Ali, shows the partial lunar eclipse over the capital city.

A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the moon and sun

Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

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Photographer Lorenzo Di Cola captured a series of 12 images from L’Aquila, Italy, showing the full evolution of the eclipse from that point. At the fullest extent of the eclipse, his image shows 6 per cent of the lunar surface being plunged into darkness.

Even during a full lunar eclipse, the moon isn’t totally dark, as sunlight is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere. Shorter wavelengths are scattered more readily, leaving longer wavelengths of light to hit the moon and causing a reddish hue, also known as a “blood moon”.

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