Much of Sussex had a clear view of last night's eclipse of the moon despite dense cloud, as this picture shows.

The eclipse - caused by the earth casting its shadow on the moon - started at about 6.40pm yesterday as the moon began to enter the Earth's shadow.

At first it appeared as if a small bite had been taken out of one side of the lunar disc.

Gradually the "bite" - the curved edge of the earth's shadow - crept across the moon's face until the whole lunar surface was covered at about 7.55pm.

The moon then darkened and, as experts had predicted, it changed colour from silver to red as the sunlight was filtered and bent by the Earth's atmosphere.

The best views were enjoyed in Northern Ireland, western Scotland and Cumbria.

But people in the South-West and along the South Coast had to contend with some thick cloud.

Parts of Sussex had a clear view of the initial stages before cloud obscured the spectacle.

Astronomer Dr Patrick Moore, speaking from his home in Selsey, near Chichester, said: "It has not been very good conditions here but it has still been lovely to look up and I've been able to take pictures."