Look up tonight! Full moon will change COLOUR for billions of people around the world

Think you know what the moon looks like? Well, maybe you don’t recognize it tonight.

That’s because, for billions around the world, our natural satellite is going to change from its usual bright white to a dark gray color.

This phenomenon is due to a deep “penumbral” lunar eclipse, where the Earth’s outer shadow – the penumbra – falls on the full moon.

It occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, preventing light from reaching the lunar surface.

Billions of people across much of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and even Antarctica will have the chance to see it as it peaks tonight at 6.22pm BST.

“The shadow of a planet produces a cast shadow and penumbra depending on the location of the planet and the sun,” Professor Don Pollacco of the University of Warwick told MailOnline.

“The darkest solar eclipses occur when the moon moves through the Earth’s shadow.

“A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the Earth’s shadow.”

The event is expected to kick off on May 5 at 4.14pm BST and run for just over four hours before concluding at 8.31pm.

Unfortunately, people in the US and UK are unlikely to see the effects of the eclipse this time around.

But you don’t have to miss it if you’re not in a region where it will be visible, as the Virtual Telescope Project will livestream the event for astronomy enthusiasts everywhere.

You will be able to catch the solar eclipse on them website or Youtube Channel from 7:45pm BST (2:45pm ET).

In the stream, the moon will rise over the Maremma region of Tuscany, Italy.

While this will be the deepest penumbral lunar eclipse to occur until September 2042, weather and patience are required to observe it.

Professor Pollacco added that it can be very difficult to see the eclipse of the moon because of the continuous illumination of the sun.

But during total lunar eclipses, the sun doesn’t illuminate the moon, so the lunar surface often changes color.

“For a total lunar eclipse, totality takes hours. During these eclipses, the sun does not illuminate the moon, but light from the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the lunar surface,” said Professor Don Pollacco.

“It is then reflected back to us. So instead of the moon disappearing, it becomes dim and often turns a dark red – an impressive sight. Because entire hemispheres can see the eclipse, it is much less rare than an eclipse and usually a typical location can see one every year.”

At this time of year, the moon is typically referred to as the ‘Flower Moon’, ‘Milk Moon’ or ‘Corn Planting Moon’ – inspired by flowering plants in early May.

This year’s penumbral eclipse also comes as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak between midnight and sunrise on May 6.

This spectacle will be visible from the UK in the early hours, but according to the Southern Hemisphere in general Royal Museums Greenwich.

Eta Aquarids are made from the debris left behind by Halley’s Comet and take place from mid-April to late May each year.

Professor Don Pollacco explained: ‘Earth goes through a number of comet orbits every year and at these times we see an increase in meteor activity, depending on the density of the dust previously ejected from the comet.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, so named because its radiant is in the constellation of Aquarius, occurs when Earth passes through the orbit of a comet named Halley.

“These meteors are best seen from the southern hemisphere, where the radiant in Aquarius is more visible. From the UK you might expect 10 meteors an hour in clear, dark conditions.’