Skygazers in parts of Ireland lucky enough to be under clear skies this morning were treated to the astronomical spectacle of a "super blood wolf moon".
'Wolf moon' is a traditional way of naming a full moon in the month of January and 'Blood Moon' because of its rusty, read appearance.
Editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine David Moore said the eclipse ended at 6.50am and there were some great views of it early on before clouds rolled in over the north of the country, "but we managed to see the phase where the Moon slips into the Earth's shadow and the first part of totality".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Moore said that after around an hour - at 4.45am - the Moon was totally inside the Earth's shadow for 62 minutes and while it was cloudy in parts of Dublin, he said people in Wicklow reported that it stayed clear right the way into the middle of totality.
Conditions in the south of the country were said to be better.
The surface of the moon appeared a reddish hue while seeming brighter and closer to earth than normal during the phenomenon.
A super blood wolf moon occurs when a blood moon and supermoon occur simultaneously.
Super Blood Wolf Moon 🐺
— Gracie Ni G (@GracieNiG) January 21, 2019
21/1/19
Cloudy Mayo Ireland 🌝 #moon #BloodWolfMoon #LunarEclipse @AstronomyIRL @Ciencia_Alcance pic.twitter.com/FVM4kiSkLn
Mr Moore said there will be a few partial and total eclipses, just as the Moon is rising or setting, which will spoil the view, but the next full eclipse from start to finish above the horizon from Ireland will be in December 2029.
In pictures: Super blood wolf moon
Did you see the lunar eclipse? Send your photos to yourphotos@rte.ie or @rtenews
