Greater Manchester skygazers treated to a 'blue moon'
The rare celestial event will happen tonight from 5pm.
Skygazers across Greater Manchester can look forward to an "unusual'' celestial event on tonight as a Blue Moon rises in the sky for the first time since July 2015.
This one will also be a supermoon, meaning it will appear about 14% bigger and 30% brighter in the sky as it reaches its closest point to Earth.
Dr Gregory Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the moon will rise at about 5pm and will remain in the sky until 8am the following morning.
He said: "It will be high in the sky from about 19:00 and will be at its highest, and thus best, time at around 00:40.
"This coming full moon is unusual in that it is the second full moon of the month, when typically there is only one full moon per calendar month.
"Also, the full moon will be slightly larger than normal given that this is also a supermoon, so astrophotography will be more spectacular than normal.''
But those expecting to see a lunar eclipse will be disappointed as Dr Brown says it will "definitely not be visible from the UK, not even a partial eclipse''.
The eclipse, according to Nasa, will be "extra special'' for those in the US and other parts of the world such as the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand, where the Blue Moon will coincide with a total lunar eclipse.
Nasa said: "While the Moon is in the Earth's shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a 'blood moon'.
"With the total eclipse, it'll be a royal spectacle indeed: a 'super blue blood' Moon.''
Wednesday's lunar phase fits the calendar definition of "blue'' because there was another full moon on January 2.
The last Blue Moon occurred on July 31, 2015, and the next will be seen on March 31 this year.