The Gossip Madam: Stargazers around the world look to the heavens to witness lunar spectacle for first time in 33 years

A 'super blood moon’ appeared in the skies across the world last night for the first time in 30 years.

The eerie light created from the lunar eclipse with the moon near to its closest point to the Earth 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. 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. The shade will depend on the atmospheric conditions, and there may be a bluish tinge at the moon's edge.