The second and final total lunar eclipse of the year has graced the skies in some parts of the world.

The moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse above Nasa’s Space Launch System rocket - with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B - in Florida
The moon is seen during the eclipse above Nasa’s Space Launch System rocket – with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B – in Florida (Joel Kowsky/Nasa/AP)

The next one is not until 2025.

Residents gather on a hillside to catch a glimpse of the rising moon during a lunar eclipse in Beijing
Residents gather on a hillside to catch a glimpse of the rising moon in Beijing (Ng Han Guan/AP)

– Where it was seen

The moon rises past tree branches during a lunar eclipse in Metro Manila, Philippines
The moon rises past tree branches in Metro Manila, Philippines (Aaron Favila/AP)

Where skies were clear, the eclipse was visible throughout North America in the predawn hours, with prime viewing in the west, and across parts of East Asia, Australia and the rest of the Pacific after sunset.

A naga statue is silhouetted against the moon during a total lunar eclipse in front of the Chinese temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A naga statue is silhouetted against the moon in front of the Chinese temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Heng Sinith/AP)

– How long it lasted

Muslims pray at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, during a lunar eclips
Muslims pray at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the eclipse (Achmad Ibrahim/AP)

The total phase of the eclipse lasted about one-and-a-half hours. The whole show took about six hours from start to finish.

The Beaver Blood Moon, caused by a total lunar eclipse, is seen behind the twin statues of Lady Liberty atop the Liberty Building in downtown Buffalo, New York
The Beaver Blood Moon, caused by the eclipse, is seen behind the twin statues of Lady Liberty atop the Liberty Building in downtown Buffalo, New York (Derek Gee/The Buffalo News/AP)

– Why it happens

A total eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon line up perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow on the moon.

The full blood moon caused by the lunar eclipse is framed by US flags blowing in the breeze on the National Mall in Washington
The full blood moon is framed by US flags blowing in the breeze on the National Mall in Washington (J. David Ake/AP)

The reddish-orange colour is the result of sunlight scattering off Earth’s atmosphere.

Seen past Christmas lights, the earth’s shadow starts to cover the moon during a lunar eclipse at a public square in Caracas, Brazil
Seen past Christmas lights, the earth’s shadow starts to cover the moon at a public square in Caracas, Brazil (Matias Delacroix/AP)

– Next one

The next total lunar eclipse is in March 2025 but there will be be plenty of partial eclipses in the meantime.

People watch the moon through telescopes during a lunar eclipse in Seoul, South Korea
People watch the moon through telescopes in Seoul, South Korea (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
A lunar eclipse is seen over Tawi bridge in Jammu, India
The eclipse is seen over Tawi bridge in Jammu, India (Channi Anand/AP)