Blood Moon: Best of viewer photos

Saturday, April 4, 2015, 10:05 AM - On Saturday, April 4, the shortest total lunar eclipse of the century took place.

Just before sunrise, the full moon passed through the Earth's shadow, temporarily turning a dark shade of red.

This effect creates what is often referred to as a 'blood moon,' and was visible across the western half of North America -- but only for a very brief period of time.

In most areas, the total phase of the eclipse lasted less than five minutes.

Luckily, our viewers braved the early morning darkness and raced to capture it in stunning detail.

The best images of the stellar event can be seen in the slideshow above.

ALSO SEE: What happens during a lunar eclipse?