Spectacular pictures of the moon were published as it was seen across the Americas, where a full lunar eclipse occurred, but in the UK it was only a partial eclipse because the moon had already set below the horizon by the time it was fully covered just before 7am.

A total lunar eclipse is a relatively rare astronomical event because the moon usually passes above or below Earth’s shadow in the sky due to the tilt of its orbit. But once or twice a year the heavens literally align and the moon moves directly into that region of space.