Stargazers enjoy eclipse

Amateur stargazers who stayed up into the early hours today were rewarded with fleeting glimpses of a total eclipse of the moon. Bad weather had threatened to obscure the eclipse between 3am and 4am, but the clouds cleared sufficiently for the sight to be seen - including a spectacular view framed by the London Eye.

Royal Observatory astronomer Dr Robert Massey said: "It was fantastic. It was like an unearthly ball of rust in the sky.

"We weren't expecting to see much with all this bad weather but we were lucky to get clear spells at just the right time. Clouds kept coming and going, but we were treated to a beautiful-vision". Total lunar eclipses occur when the full moon is exactly in line with the earth and the sun, and moves into the earth's shadow.

Total eclipses also give scientists a chance to assess the quality of the earth's atmosphere, because the presence of pollution can change the colour of the moon.

The next total eclipse visible from the UK will not be until March 2007.