The shining bright white hue of the moon will be transformed into a bewitching deep blood red for UK observers tonight during the longest total lunar eclipse seen this century.

Stargazers in the British Isles will enjoy a rare celestial display as the eerie-looking red moon rises above the horizon, on a night Mars will shine brighter than it has in 15 years.

The eclipse is predicted to last a record-breaking 1 hour 43 minutes. However, UK observers will be slightly late to the party, as the moon will already be in the Earth’s shadow when it appears at around 9pm.

Sky watchers in much of the Eastern Hemisphere will be able to view the awe-inspiring astronomical event, however observers in North America will miss out.

Mars will also appear brighter than usual, appearing just below the blood moon, while the gas giant Jupiter will also be visible to the naked eye to the south-west.

The nighttime spectacle will be topped off by the presence of the International Space Station as it orbits the Earth.

A total lunar eclipse: Hidden in the Earth’s Shadow

A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. At the distance of the moon this shadow appears like the bull’s eye at the centre of a dartboard.