27 May 2021
If you missed the total lunar eclipse on Wednesday (May 26), you ll have to wait nearly a year for the next one.
Skywatchers in much of the world were treated to a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday (May 26). The spectacle happened to coincide with May s supermoon an informal term to describe a full moon at its closest point to Earth, known as perigee.
During this week s big lunar event, called the Super Flower Blood Moon, the moon passed directly through Earth s shadow, causing it to appear red for observers in parts of the Americas, as well as eastern Asia, Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean. While the moon was below the horizon and invisible to the rest of the world, clouds and daylight obscured the view for some prospective observers.
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The full moon on Wednesday will be the year’s biggest “supermoon” and feature the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years.
During the eclipse, the full moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow. It appears red, known as a “blood moon,” as light is scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere, much like during a sunset. In addition, the moon will be at perigee, or the closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear about 7 per cent larger than normal and 15 per cent brighter or a “super moon,” according to astronomers.
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The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years is set to give people living between Australia and the central US a celestial treat. DW breaks down where and when to look up.
Super
For starters, the full moon that will rise Tuesday night and set Wednesday morning is considered to be a “super moon,” meaning that the moon is at its nearest point to Earth in its orbit around the planet.
Because of that, the moon will appear to be approximately 14% larger than normal, and 30% brighter than a normal moonrise, according to scientists at the Adler Planetarium. Flower
The first full moon of each month has a different name, and the full moon in the month of May is known as the “flower moon.” Other moon names include the “wolf moon” (January), the “snow moon” (February) and the “sturgeon moon” (August), according to experts.