The moon is set to glow a reddish colour early tomorrow morning because of a partial lunar eclipse.

Stargazers will need an early start on Friday to catch sight of the much anticipated event, in which the lunar surface will change colour as it passes through the Earth's shadow.

The partial lunar eclipse will be best seen from parts of north America where 97% of the moon is expected to be covered in a shadow for more than two hours. NASA says this could be the longest partial lunar eclipse this century.

But alongside parts of Western Europe, the UK is set to get its own short showing of the spectacle from about 6am until the moon sets during which a small slither of the moon will turn a rusty red colour.

The eclipse is caused when the Earth blocks the passage of sunlight to the moon, and the Earth's shadow falls across the full moon, causing some darkening or changes of colour to its surface.

Those wishing to catch a glimpse will not only need to get up early but also find a location where the view of the sky and of the horizon is as clear as possible, because the maximum part of the eclipse is likely to happen as the moon gets close to and falls below the horizon.

Therefore in order to watch the moon as it drops to its lowest point before disappearing out of sight you should also be looking in a west-northwest direction.

The partial eclipse is likely to have finished by 7.30am in the UK, possibly earlier, depending on how far north and west you are. And while the eclipse can be viewed through binoculars or a telescope those wishing to get involved can also just use their eyes, making it an ideal event for those new to spotting events in the sky.

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