You'll be over the moon at 3am

The moon will turn blood red tonight in one of the most spectacular shows ever seen in the night sky.

But anyone who wants to catch the rare total eclipse will have to be up late – at 3.01am to be precise. The phenomenon will be the last "proper" total eclipse of the moon for seven years.

If the skies are clear, those who brave the cold will see the earth's shadow take a "bite" out of the moon just after 1.40am. And at around 3am, when the total eclipse gets under way, the moon will turn blood-red for 52 minutes as it passes completely into shadow.

During Thursday's lunar eclipse the moon will turn red

The shadow will then slowly retreat until partial eclipse ends at 5.09am.

The skies above the West Midlands are tonight forecast to be slightly overcast, but the moon should be visible during breaks in the cloud. The further north you go, the cloudier it will get.

Although lunar eclipses take place around twice a year, this will be the last time one will be visible from the whole of the United Kingdom until 2015.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon form a straight line and the earth's shadow falls on the moon. It may not be as dramatic as a solar eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun, but it can be looked at directly with the naked eye.

Robert Massey, who is from the Royal Astronomical Society, explained: "This is one of the great free events of astronomy because it's so stunning and so easy to watch."

"I'd thoroughly recommend that everyone has a look if the skies are clear. If it's clear, it's a really beautiful event and something quite special."

Eclipse watchers should stand away from street lights and use binoculars or a telescope-for the best view. The moon will start to dim just after 12.40am as it passes through outer part of the earth shadow.