The lunar eclipse delighted astronomers while filling others with dread. Some religious groups and believers in astrology were convinced the spectacle is a sign that the End of Days was approaching.
The bright moon was visible through the clouds over St Peter's Basilica in Rome (left), as well as next to the spires of the Houses of Parliament in London (right)
A 'Super blood moon' appeared in the skies across the world last night for the first time in 30 years. Some religious groups and believers in astrology were convinced the spectacle is a sign that the End of Days was approaching.
The supermoon rises behind Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, home to St Michael's Tower, where dozens of people gathered
When the moon is at perigee, its shortest distance from the Earth, it is 226,000 miles away, this makes it appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than when it is at its furthermost point.
The last time this coincided with a lunar eclipse, when the moon is covered by the Earth's shadow, was in 1982 - and it will not be repeated until 2033.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon turns a deep rusty red, due to sunlight being scattered by the Earth's atmosphere.