The total lunar eclipse of March 13-14 is partially visible in the UK and completely visible in the USA

An eerie blood moon is appearing across the world thanks to the latest lunar eclipse.

For followers of Islam, eclipses can have an additional significance. Worshippers are currently observing Ramadan – the month of daily fasting – and preparing for the festivities of Eid ul Fitr at the end of that.

The celestial event was visible in the UK as a partial eclipse in the early hours of today (March 14) and fully visible in most of North America.

The current full moon is known in folklore as the Worm Moon because it is at the time of year when earthworms tend to resurface after the winter. It is sometimes also known by other names including the Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon and Sap Moon.

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In the past there was much fear and superstition surrounding eclipses, with many believing they were a warning of some major world event, such as an impending apocalypse. Blood moons are mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible and also in the Book of Joel in the Hebrew Bible.

What do eclipses mean in Islam?

They hold some significance for followers of Islam, too. There was a solar eclipse when the prophet Muhammad’s son Ibrahim died and some thought the sun was darkened because of this tragedy and the grief and mourning it caused.

As the science of astronomy developed and it became possible to predict eclipses, it was soon clear they were part of the clockwork of the cosmos – the normal motions and cycles of stars, planets and moons.

The prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying: “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of the death or life of someone. So when you see them, call upon Allah and pray and give in charity.”

But it’s still said that Allah uses eclipses to make his devotees afraid.

They are said to be a reminder of what will happen on the Day of Judgment or Day of Resurrection after the end of the world when “the sun will be wound round and will lose its light and be overthrown and the stars will fall, and the sight will be dazed, the moon will be eclipsed and the sun and moon will be joined together (by going into one another, or folded up, or deprived of their light).”

Islam QA says: “Solar and lunar eclipses are two of the signs of Allah with which He scares His slaves and reminds them of some of the things which will happen on the Day of Resurrection. This is why Muslims should be alarmed by eclipses.”

But, according to ThoughtCo : “In modern times, superstitions and fear surrounding solar and lunar eclipses have diminished.

“However, Muslims continue the tradition of praying during an eclipse, as a reminder that Allah alone has power over all things in the heavens and on earth.”

Whatever the personal beliefs held today, it is customary in Islam to hold prayers during an eclipse.

The eclipse prayers consists of two rakats (cycles), each involving two bowings and two prostrations.

What causes a blood moon during an eclipse?

During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the light from the sun and the surface of the moon instead takes on a red or orange glow due to an effect called Rayleigh Scattering.

The same phenomenon creates red sunrises and sunsets and makes the sky blue.

It’s caused by the way that rays of sunlight are sometimes deflected as they travel towards us. Short wavelengths such as violet and blue are scattered in different directions when they hit the atmosphere, while longer wavelengths like red and orange pass through and reach the Earth.

The red and orange light then curves around the Earth and hits the moon on the other side, giving it an eerie colour.

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