Blood moon lights up Australia's skies

Australian stargazers have experienced spectacular lunar eclipse that has turned the moon a blood red colour.

During the lunar eclipse, the “blood moon” lit up the skies, but clouds spoiled the party for much of the eastern states.

9news.com.au viewers have snapped photos of the spectacular sight as the eclipse got underway.

An eclipse occurs at least twice a year when the sun, earth and moon align and the moon goes into the earth’s shadow.

Any more photos of the lunar eclipse? Send them to contact@9news.com.au

Light from the sun bent around the earth’s atmosphere like a lens and hit the moon – turning it a distinct red colour.

A lunar eclipse is always followed by a solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, rather than above or below.

The last lunar eclipse was in April, followed two weeks later by the first half of a solar eclipse.

In a fortnight, the Northern Hemisphere will witness the solar eclipse that partners tonight’s lunar eclipse.

Lunar eclipses occur at the same moment for every location on Earth, however they can only be seen from those places where it is night and the full moon is visible in the sky.