Supermoon sparks fear the end is nigh

An awe-inspiring blood-red “supermoon” will cast its eerie light on the Earth early on Monday, perhaps creating an atmosphere of wonder and fear across the world.

For amateur astronomers it will be a rare chance to capture a spectacular celestial event that has not occurred for 30 years — a lunar eclipse with the moon near to its closest point to the Earth.

But for some — religious groups and believers in astrology — the eclipse will be dreadful in the most literal sense, a sign that the End of Days is approaching.