A total "blood moon" lunar eclipse peaked overnight and lit up skies across the Pittsburgh area and throughout western Pennsylvania.The total eclipse began Friday at 2:26 a.m. and lasted for nearly an hour.

In the Americas alone more than one billion people in 35 countries could bear witness to the total lunar eclipse.

During the eclipse, the Earth passed between the sun and moon, blocking light from hitting the lunar surface, making the moon darker than usual. The moon turned a red hue, becoming a “blood moon,” due to the sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching its surface.