This Is Exactly When & Where You Need To Be To See Tonight's Blood Moon

Tonight will see the longest blood moon in this century. Moon lovers will be out in force to see this incredible sight, which will be visible in the UK, as long as the clouds stay away. Where to see the blood moon eclipse is entirely up to you, but let me give you the low down on when it is appearing and the best type of places to view it.

So first things first, what is a blood moon anyway and why is everyone getting so excited about this one? Occurring once or twice a year, Space.com defines a blood moon as occurring when the moon is in total lunar eclipse, i.e. when the moon is completely immersed in the earth's shadow or as it is also known, umbra. Posh word alert! The reason the moon changes from brilliant white to that reddy brown, blood like hue is that light coming from our sunsets and sunrises bounces off the moon and makes it look super red in colour.

In the past the blood moon was seen as portentous and a sign that bad things were coming. This blood moon even has an American pastor claiming the end of times is coming.

First off, time is key. It's not just like the moon is going to turn red and that's that for the whole night. Don't be daft, that would be far too easy. So depending where you are, when it will be visible is different. According to the Guardian:

"Weather permitting, get ready for a beautiful celestial sight on Friday 27 July and Saturday 28 July, when a total lunar eclipse will be visible from almost all parts of the world. The only people missing out this time are Greenland, Canada and the USA"

Sorry fam in Greenland, Canada and the U.S., we missed that solar eclipse last year so I guess we are even. Lucky for us though, the eclipse is set to be visible all night! The moon is set to rise at 8:50 p.m. and will be red as it rises. The BBC reports that the eclipse will last for one hour and 43 minutes, so there's plenty of time to enjoy it. Best hope for clear weather though as (typically) storms are expected to hit parts of the UK tonight just in time for the eclipse. Yawn.

OK, maybe play this real quick and see if it scares the rain away.

Where is best to watch it? Well, luckily enough the eclipse can be viewed with the naked eye so you don't need any fancy equipment, unless of course you already have it and have been despo for an excuse to use it. According to the Guardian, "all you need is a clear view of the night sky. Your eyes are the best instrument to soak up the sight".

My personal recommendation would be to try and get away from bright lights. If you can't get out of the city, get to the nearest big park and take in that big beautiful orb. Even better if you can find somewhere with water so you can watch the reflection of this beautiful natural phenomenon. No accounting for how were wolves are going to behave. Oh and shout out to my crystal fans, don't forget to leave your crystals out for a moon cleanse.