Longest lunar eclipse of 21st century turns moon blood red Friday July 27,2018

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth lies in between the sun and the moon. This means the sun's light is blocked by the Earth, and the moon passes into its shadow.

A full moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon before a lunar eclipse in Cape Sounion, near Athens, Greece

The reddish appearance of the lunar surface - the moon's image does not vanish entirely during an eclipse - is due to rays of sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere as the moon falls into our planet's shadow.

No special filters are required to protect your eyes, which makes watching a lunar eclipse different from watching a solar eclipse, making this spectacle completely safe to view with the naked eye.

The fullest "blood moon" eclipse was visible from Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, much of Asia and Australia though clouds blocked out the moon in some places