STARGAZERS are being urged to get up early on Friday morning (March 14) to be in with a chance of seeing a partial lunar eclipse – and a ‘blood moon’.

While the Earth will only cast a partial shadow on the Moon for us, in the southern hemisphere sky watchers can expect to see a total eclipse.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich said anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the “spectacular” display will need to be an early riser.

“The Moon will pass into the lighter part of the Earth’s shadow (the penumbra) at 3.57am, but the show won’t really start until 5.09am, when the darker part of Earth’s shadow (the umbra) begins to fall over the Moon,” a spokesperson said.

“The total eclipse will begin at 6.26am, but this will be shortly after the Moon has sunk below the horizon in London.

“Readers in most of the Americas will be able to see the total lunar eclipse.

“This is quite an early one, so don’t forget to set your alarms.”

Meanwhile later this month, on March 29, we will see a partial solar eclipse.

It will begin when the Moon first appears to touch the Sun’s disk, at 10.07am, and end at noon, when the Moon and Sun separate in the sky.

Maximum coverage takes place at 11.03am, at which point between 30-40% of the Sun will be obscured, the observatory said.

“The most important thing to remember about solar eclipses is to never look directly at the Sun,” a spokesperson added. “There are many ways you can view this event without risking your eyesight.

“A good option is to get a pair of eclipse glasses, but it’s important to make sure they are undamaged and from a trustworthy supplier.

“If you don’t have a pair, you can use basic materials to create a pinhole projection of the eclipse.

“Simply pierce a small hole in a sheet of cardboard and hold it up to the Sun.

“You should be able to see the eclipse projected within the shadow cast by the card. This can even be achieved using a colander.”