Fotos of 'blood moon' wey make stargazers around di world wonder as lunar eclipse happun

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Early-rising stargazers for UK wake up to di lunar eclipse just before day break on Friday.

Di eclipse be partialone for most of di UK, with di Earth shadow only covering part of di Moon.

But some western areas for UK, as well as di Americas and some Pacific islands, see a total lunar eclipse. Na di first since May 2022, wen di Moon turn completely red.

Di ogbonge "blood Moon" happun as di Moon move enta Earth shadow, as e gradually go dark before turning to red.

Full moon as dem see am during di "Blood Moon" total lunar eclipse from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Wia dis foto come from, Reuters

Wetin we call dis foto, Di "blood Moon" as dem see am for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
People view di full moon as one section move enta shadow during one lunar eclipse, before day break, for Stonehenge stone circle, near Amesbury, UK

Wia dis foto come from, Reuters

Wetin we call dis foto, Di Moon before di total eclipse, as dem see am from Stonehenge

Stargazers around di world catch di first sign of di lunar event, wey begin at 05:09 GMT, on one livestream wey LA Griffith Observatory do.

Lunar eclipse dey happen wen di Earth move directly between di Sun and di Moon, blocking sunlight and casting shadow on di Moon surface.

Dis na diagram wey explain a total lunar eclipse. Di diagram show di Sun on di left, casting light wey dey blocked by Earth for di center. Di Earth shadow extend to di right, wia di Moon pass entirely through am. Di diagram label di different parts of di shadow: Dark central shadow wia di Moon appear red due to di scattering of sunlight inside Earth atmosphere. Penumbra (lighter outer shadow), wia only partial shading occur. Di Moon dey on di right, e appear red due to di total eclipse. BBC logo dey present, and one note wey say not to scale di diagram.

Lunar eclipse dey happen wen di Moon pass through di outer region of Earth shadow, wey dem call di penumbra.

A total lunar eclipse require di Earth to block di light from di Sun hitting di Moon - meaning say di three celestial objects need to dey in alignment.

Di full moon rise behind di Grand Camlica Mosque for Istanbul, Turkey

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wetin we call dis foto, Di Moon rise behind di Grand Camlica Mosque for Istanbul
Pipo line up with telescopes to watch di moon

Wia dis foto come from, AFP

Wetin we call dis foto, Pipo watch di eclipse for Galileo Galilei Planetarium for Buenos Aires, Argentina
Di moon dey behind di Statue of Liberty and di Brooklyn Tower for New York City

Wia dis foto come from, Shutterstock

Wetin we call dis foto, Di Moon dey seen behind di Statue of Liberty and di Brooklyn Tower for New York City
Scientists dey look di Moon wey dey displayed on a screen for di Foster Observatory for Santiago

Wia dis foto come from, AFP

Wetin we call dis foto, Scientists dey look di Moon wey dey displayed on a screen for di Foster Observatory for Santiago

Pipo sometimes dey call a lunar eclipse "blood Moon" because of di way di Moon fit turn deep, copper red during di eclipse.

Dis dey happen sake of a process known as "Rayleigh scattering", wey dey also make di sky blue and di sunsets red.

Wen sunlight pass through di Earth atmosphere to reach di Moon, e dey cause di Moon to appear a different colour, na so astronomer Jake Foster, for di Royal Observatory Greenwich explain.

Wen light dey blocked by di small particles for Earth atmosphere, e dey scatter more of di shorter blue wavelengths, leaving longer red wavelengths to remain visible.

Mr Foster say: "Red light dey mostly unaffected by di gas of di atmosphere, so e dey travel all di way through dem and out di other side wia e fit shine on di Moon, making am to appear red."

Di next total lunar eclipse dey due to take place for di beginning of September - but go show well-well over central and east Asia, with only some parts of di UK wey go see di total eclipse effect.