Paris: The longest "blood moon" eclipse this century coincided with Mars' closest approach in 15 years on Friday offering skygazers a thrilling astronomical double bill.
Unlike when watching a solar eclipse, viewers did not need protective eye gear to observe the spectacle.
For about half the world, the moon was partly or fully in Earth's shadow from 1714 to 2328 GMT - six hours and 14 minutes in all.
The period of complete eclipse known as "totality", when the moon appears darkest - lasted from 1930 to 2113 GMT.
"Totality will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century!" the Royal Astronomical Society had said. At the same time, Mars hovered near the moon in the night sky, making it easily visible to the naked eye.