Snappers and stargazers capture rare phenomenon

While most of us were fast asleep in the early hours of Monday morning, stargazers and keen photographers were wide awake either admiring or taking pictures of the rare “super blood moon”.

The supermoon total lunar eclipse was visible at exactly 3.47am, although for hours either side of this time it was either taking shape or gradually disappearing.

It is an extremely rare phenomenon, as only five total lunar eclipses have coincided with a supermoon since 1900.

The last time was in 1982, and skywatchers will have to wait until 2033 to see it again.

The highlight of the sighting was when the moon turned red as it passed through the shadow of the earth – with some sunlight still illuminating the moon, giving it an eerie red glow. At this distance from us, the moon appeared around 14% larger than usual.

Among those out and about photographing the spectacle were regular KE contributors Andy Clark and Ross Davenport.

Also capturing the sight was Tanya Marston, who stayed up to take images over her home in Repton Park.

She used her iPhone to capture the picture through a telescope at 10pm and then again at 2.15am, but said it was much more difficult to snap a clear picture of the red moon through the device.

Later of Monday morning, private ambulance driver Angie Hindmarsh was on duty for NSL at the base in Montpelier Business Park in Ashford, and captured the blood red moon at 3.40am.

The blood moon pictured by Ross Davenport from the Devils Kneading Trough near Wye overlooking Ashford

The blood moon pictured by Ross Davenport near Willesborough Windmill

Tanya Marston took this picture of the supermoon over Ashford before the lunar eclipse

Ambulance driver Angie Hindmarsh took this picture at 3.40am

One of Ruth Cuerden’s moon pictures

Tanya Marston took this picture before the eclipse

Andy Clark’s image of the lunar eclipse over Ashford

Another of Andy Clark’s images