A ONCE in a blue moon sighting was witnessed by people across Surrey and Hampshire last night (Wednesday, January 31).

This dazzling moon was marvelled across the world and is being called a "super blue blood moon”. This is when a total lunar eclipse, blood moon and supermoon coincide.

According to the Farnham Astronomical Society’s blog ’When is a Blue Moon not a Blue Moon?’, the modern definition of a blue moon is when there is a full moon twice in one month.

A supermoon is when the planet is closet to the Earth and a total lunar eclipse is when the Earth covers the moon with its shadow.

If you’re wondering why it is described as ’blue’, the blog gives one very interesting explanation to how this came about.

It comes from 1528 in the writings of Cardinal Wolsey.

Katherine Rusbridge simplifies the explanation to “if a member of the Church says something which is impossible, then we are still expected to believe them”.

She writes: “From this original phrase, the idea of a blue moon came to mean something which was impossible and over time this changed into something which was very unlikely and hence the current usage in the phrase “once in a blue moon.”

You can read other interesting facts about this rare sighting at http://www.farnham-as.co.uk/2018/01/when-is-a-blue-moon-not-a-blue-moon/.

*Did you take any photos of last night’s astronomical phenomenon above Surrey and Hampshire? Please send your pics to [email protected].