The “supermoon” eclipse has delivered an eerie spectacle not seen for 33 years – turning a blood red colour before being covered by the Earth’s shadow.
It appeared 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual because the moon was at its nearest to Earth – a mere 226,000 miles away.
The last time a supermoon coincided with an eclipse was 1982. The next is not until 2033.
The red colour is caused by sunlight being scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere as our planet moves directly between the sun and the moon.
Luckily, clear skies in many parts of the UK made for ideal viewing conditions and some memorable images.
The eclipse began to unfold just after 1am and reached “total” phase at around 3.11am, lasting for over an hour.
As well as Europe, it was also visible in North and South America, Africa and western Asia.
The event traditionally sparks ‘End of Days’ theories as some believers clutch bibles and wonder if the end is nigh.
The eclipse is the end of a tetrad, a series of four total lunar eclipses set six months apart.
The 21st century will see eight tetrads – an uncommonly high number. From 1600 to 1900 there were none at all.