EARLY RISERS WILL get to see a total eclipse of the Moon on Friday morning.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned between the Moon and Sun, blocking sunlight from the moon.

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow and appears dim and reddish orange.

Illustration of a lunar eclipse. Alamy Stock Vector Alamy Stock Vector

The lunar eclipse this Friday is the first of two eclipses that will be visible from Ireland this month.

The second is a partial solar eclipse of the Sun on 29 March – this will be a “very deep” partial eclipse.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, and casts a shadow on the Earth but does not fully block out the Sun.

Diagram of a Solar eclipse Alamy Stock Vector Alamy Stock Vector

This Friday’s lunar eclipse begins at 5:09am – Astronomy Ireland says this is when the first “bite” will appear to be taken out of the Moon as it slowly slips into the Earth’s shadow, taking 76 minutes to do so.

By 6:26am, the Moon will be totally eclipsed.

David Moore, editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine, said that the totally eclipsed Moon will be low in the west as seen from Ireland, and the Sun will be close to rising.

As a result, the normal “Blood Moon” effect will not be as obvious as an eclipse that occurs high in a dark sky.

However, Moore said this “shouldn’t put people off watching, as the early stages from 5am will be quite spectacular to the naked eye and will be high enough to see in a dark sky”.

“You may even see some of the ‘blood red’ effect on the eclipsed side of the Moon long before it is totally eclipsed and the morning twilight has brightened the sky,” said Moore, who added that those in the west will get a slightly better view than those on the east coast.

Meanwhile, Astronomy Ireland has issued a call for sightings of the eclipse to publish in its magazine.