Stargazers across the UAE and around the world enjoyed a spectacular partial eclipse of the Moon on Tuesday night.
Clear skies gave residents the perfect opportunity to watch as the earth's shadow swept across 60 per cent of the lunar surface.
The National's photographer Victor Besa was at the Souq Al Anshetan Masjid Mosque in Al Mina Port in Abu Dhabi to capture the event.
He described the partial eclipse - which began just before 11pm and lasted for about five hours - as "awe-inspiring".
Unlike a solar eclipse, where viewers risk damaging their eyesight if looking directly at the Sun, an eclipse of the Moon is safe to view.
Ilias Fernini, deputy director of the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences, explained the reasons for the Moon’s reddish tone.
“When part of the Moon is inside the Earth’s shadow, the light from the sun is scattered and the only light that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere is the one that has the red colour," he said.
Tuesday's partial lunar eclipse is expected to be the last until a total eclipse of the Moon on May 26, 2021.
