The ‘Super Flower Blood Moon’ lunar eclipse is coming this 26th of May. It’s not happened since January 20, 2019, but the wait of over two years ends on that particular date. It is definitely an event not to be missed if you happen to be on the night-side of Earth at the right time. Parts of the world are about to experience a total lunar eclipse, which turns the moon a rusty red.
NASA says the eclipse will be visible across parts of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and Eastern Asia. Residents of Hawaii and Alaska should have a great viewing opportunity, but much of the western US will be in position for the show. These are 3 things you need to know about ‘Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse’ to help you better experience this rare event.
The full moon on the 26th of May 2021, is going to be the biggest of the year because it occurs while our satellite is at the closest point to Earth in its slightly elliptical monthly orbit. That’s called perigee, and a few hours before the eclipse the Moon will actually be the closest it gets to Earth this year—222,022 miles/357,311 km. To the keen-eyed observer, the Moon will appear to be about 8% larger than an average-sized full moon. The ‘Flower Moon’ part? It comes from the traditional name for May’s full Moon.
2) The Pacific Rim Will Get The Best View
The entirety of this eclipse will be visible only to those around the Pacific Rim, from the west coast of the U.S. to the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, and Eastern Asia. From the U.S., it will be notably in Los Angeles and San Francisco where the event happens close to moonset in the western sky during the early hours, so it will hang rather low on the horizon, while in East Asia including in Hong Kong and Singapore, the full Moon will be eclipsed just after moonrise in the east. From Hawaii, the ‘Blood Moon’ will appear to be high up in the darkest skies of the middle of the night.
3) The Milky Way May Appear During Totality
Go outside during a full moon and try to find the Milky Way. It’s really difficult even if you’re standing beneath a clear, dark sky. During a total lunar eclipse, the sky’s biggest light polluter is effectively switched off. So for 14 mines and 30 seconds, no significant sunlight will flood the night sky and the summer Milky Way may appear. It’s an incredible fleeting sight during a total lunar eclipse. That goes double during this particular event because the Moon will be positioned across the constellation Scorpius which is home to the arc of our home galaxy. So while you don’t need to find a dark sky to watch the ‘Blood Moon’, if you do you will get a bonus sight.
Sources: Russh.