'Blood moon' full lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse, the first since December 2011, took place on Tuesday with the Americas best placed to get a glimpse. The rare celestial show unfolded as Earth's shadow fell across the moon, shifting its colour from bright orange to blood red to brown, depending on local weather conditions.

Through this photo gallery we bring you how it was witnessed across the globe:

In this picture:Total eclipse of the moon underway over southern California as seen from Korea town, west of downtown Los Angeles. (AFP photo)

The moon is halfway through a lunar eclipse over southern California as seen from Korea town, west of downtown Los Angeles. (AFP photo)

This picture taken on Tuesday shows the moon during a total lunar eclipse over the Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial in Brasilia. (AFP photo)

The moon is seen during the early stages of a total lunar eclipse over the Honduras city of Tegucigalpa. (AFP photo)

The moon is pictured over the Independence Monument in Mexico City late on April 14,2014 as a lunar eclipse begins across the Americas. (AFP photo)

The moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse from the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife. (AFP Photo)

The moon is seen as it emerges from a total lunar eclipse from the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife. (AFP photo)

A combination of 6 pictures shows the moon in different stages of a total lunar eclipse seen from the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife on Tuesday. (AFP photo)