The Super Blue Blood Moon in January this year. Image: Lannon Harley, ANU.

Australia will be treated to a Blood Moon and a total lunar eclipse, as the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, this weekend.

The Moon will appear to darken and gradually turn red as it moves into Earth’s shadow in the early hours of Saturday.

“The red colour comes from light that skims through the Earth’s atmosphere and goes off into space,” says ANU astronomer Dr Brad Tucker.

“You will see the sunrise and sunset of the Earth lighting up the surface of the Moon over 350,000 km away.

“If you were on the Moon, you would see a total solar eclipse as the Earth would be blocking the Sun.”

The lunar eclipse will begin about 3.15 am (AEST) Saturday, July 28. The Moon will start to turn red from about 5.30 am.

Those on the east coast will not see the Moon leave the shadow but people living further west should see nearly all of the lunar eclipse.

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