Australia has front-row seats to Monday’s ‘blood moon’ lunar eclipse: here’s when and how to watch it

West Australians should get particularly good views, but the eclipse will be visible from the whole country given favourable weather

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Set your alarm, pray for clear skies and prepare to be awestruck in the early hours of Monday morning, when Australia becomes the prime location to witness a rare total lunar eclipse.

A blood moon, as it is called, occurs when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. The moon takes on a deep red hue, giving it a surreal, even eerie, appearance.