Photo by Dave
Stargazers across Australia have been treated to a rare lunar eclipse that briefly turned the moon red.
The astronomical event known as a "blood moon" occurs when the sun, moon and Earth align, with the colour a result of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere.
Saturday night's eclipse was the shortest of the century, with US-based Sky and Telescope magazine describing it as "unusually brief".
Sky-watchers in Melbourne had a clear night. The entire process began about 8:00pm (AEST), with the moon becoming red just after 9pm. The full eclipse occurred just after 10pm, when the moon appeared completely red.
The blood moon was the third in a series of four eclipses — known as a "tetrad".
The first eclipse occurred in April last year and the second occurred in September.
The final eclipse of the series is expected to take place in September this year.
