Full Worm and Blood Moon shines in night sky

The first full Moon of the spring - known as the Worm Moon - rose in the skies across the United Kingdom on Monday night.

It was also visible on Tuesday night and lots of clear skies meant there was an improved chance to see it.

For sky watchers in Asia, Australia and parts of the Americas the full Moon coincided with a rare total lunar eclipse making it appear red.

The full lunar eclipse, and Blood Moon as it's known, wasn't visible in the UK.

Full Moons have names that date back to ancient traditions before modern calendars were used.

They were helpful ways to mark the changing seasons and the names tended to relate to significant timely events.

The March full Moon is known as the Worm Moon as it refers to when earthworms start to emerge from the soil as the weather warms in springtime.

For some parts of the world, the full Moon was visible as it underwent a total lunar eclipse, becoming what is known as a Blood Moon.

A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves directly between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow onto the Moon's surface.

The Moon appears to turn a rusty red during a total lunar eclipse because Earth's atmosphere filters and bends sunlight so that only the red wavelengths reach and illuminate it.

Sky watchers in North America, South America, East Asia, and Australia - almost a third of the world's population - were able to see the full eclipse on Tuesday morning.

However, if the weather was not on your side this time, the next full Moon will rise on 1 April with the Pink Moon, followed by the Flower Moon on 1 May.

May will also feature a second full Moon on 31 May, known as a Blue Moon. The Blue Moon is so-called because having two full Moons in a single month only happens once every few years, giving rise to the expression "once in a blue Moon".