Readers who stayed up to see the ‘blood moon’ this morning have been sending in their pictures of the lunar eclipse.

The Comet: A shot of the lunar eclipse taken by Mark Bradnick in Walkern.A shot of the lunar eclipse taken by Mark Bradnick in Walkern.

The eclipse of the so-called supermoon – the term used when the moon is at its shortest distant from the Earth – started at about 1.10am in the UK, before turning blood red at around 3.30am.

The event, the first of its kind since 1982, will not be repeated until 2033 and was captured by a number of our readers in Stevenage and North Herts.

Rob Nichols began taking pictures at his home in Wisden Road, Stevenage, at 11pm, with his blood moon pictures shot between 3am and 4am.

The Comet: The blood moon eclipse captured by Rafe Abrook in Pirton. More photography at www.rafeabrook.co.uk.The blood moon eclipse captured by Rafe Abrook in Pirton. More photography at www.rafeabrook.co.uk. (Image: Archant)

He said: “The sky was very clear and, as the moon went dark, the rest of the stars became clearer.

“Stevenage is a great place for photos after midnight which is surprising given it is a large town.”

Photographer Rafe Abrook from the village of Pirton near Hitchin, said: “I got my camera and tripod ready last night and set my alarm for 3.45am this morning.

The Comet: The blood moon. Credit Rob NicholsThe blood moon. Credit Rob Nichols (Image: Archant)

“The conditions were perfect for it. It was a clear still night with lots of stars.

“It was different from a solar eclipse in the fact you couldn’t see much changing.

“I did a bit of reading and research on the subject, and knew what I was looking for. I did think about trying for a silhouette against the church steeple but at 3.45am my patience wasn’t at its best so I just took the shot of the moon and went back to bed!”