What is a Blood Moon and when can you see it?

The Moon will turn red and orange soon - but why?

A Blood Moon will appear in the sky in the UK this week.

It might sound a bit spooky, but it just means a total lunar eclipse is on the way.

This is when the Earth's orbit puts it directly between the Moon and the Sun.

When this happens, the Moon looks like it turns red, which is why they're called Blood Moons.

This picture shows the Earth blocking the Sun's rays - stopping them from reaching the Moon - causing a lunar eclipse.

They don't happen very often - the last Blood Moon was in November 2022.

But between 2025 and 2026, stargazers will be treated to three!

This one will be visible on 13 and 14 March, depending where in the world you're watching it from.

It will be visible across the UK but will only be a total eclipse

While you won't need any specialist equipment to see it, you may want to set a pretty early alarm.

When can I see the Blood Moon?

The Blood Moon will be visible in the Europe, North and South America and Asia.

However, different parts of the process will be visible in each of these places.

Astronomers predict people in North and South America will see the whole process.

Europe will see the start and middle, and Asia will only see the last part.

The different phases of a Blood Moon

And it's an early start on 14 March if you want to catch the main part of the eclipse in the UK where the Moon starts to turn red.

Jake Foster is an astronomer from Royal Observatory Greenwich. He told Newsround the best time to catch it will be between 5.10am and 6.20am, when it will be at its most red.

He added: "It will be very low on the western horizon, and the Moon will set only a few minutes after reaching its maximum, so we won't get to enjoy it for as long as we'd like, but it still should be a nice view for early risers with a clear view of the west."

They're not dangerous to look at, so if you're up early enough, see if you can spot it!

Brilliant Blood Moon snaps from previous years