Stunning images of partial lunar eclipse visible worldwide

The August full moon, known as the "Sturgeon Moon," graced the night sky, offering observers a spectacular celestial event. As an added bonus, a partial lunar eclipse occurred when the Sun, Earth, and Moon aligned, creating a visible spectacle in parts of the world.

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During a partial lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Moon to temporarily move into the Earth's shadow.

BBC WeatherWatchers captured impressive photographs of the event, which reached its peak before dawn in the United Kingdom. Many observers noted the Moon taking on a reddish appearance. Clearings in the clouds allowed for unobstructed views in various locations, including Selsey Bill, Kent, and Buckinghamshire.

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Sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere is scattered: shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more easily, while a greater amount of longer wavelength red light reaches the Moon.

The reddish hue is a result of Earth's atmosphere. During a partial lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon, partially obscuring the Moon in its shadow, the umbra. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light more easily, allowing longer red wavelengths to reach the Moon. These wavelengths then reflect back to Earth, imparting the characteristic red color.

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These wavelengths are then reflected back towards Earth, giving the eclipsed Moon its reddish color.

The "Sturgeon Moon" name, like other full moon names, historically helped people track time and seasons. This particular name comes from the abundance of sturgeon fish in North American rivers during this period. The next full moon, on September 26, will be called the Harvest or Corn Moon, traditionally associated with crop gathering, though this year's extreme heat has accelerated harvests in the UK.

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Like the other full moons throughout the year, it gets its name from natural phenomena that occur around the same time.