On May 26, 2021, a Blood Moon will appear in the night sky across North America.
Stargazers in the western United States can catch a glimpse of the super “Blood Moon” when it arrives later this month.
Early in the morning of May 26, a Blood Moon will appear in the night sky over North America. The “blood moon” is named for its red glow.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse (total lunar eclipse). The Earth is between the Moon and the Sun at this time.
The agency explains on its website, “When this happens, the only light reaching the moon’s surface comes from the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere. The air molecules from the Earth’s atmosphere scatter most of the blue light. The remaining light is reflected onto the moon’s surface, emitting a red glow that makes the moon appear red in the night sky.”
Notably, the blood moon will be the result of a combination of a full moon in May – the Flower Moon – a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse.
A “supermoon,” also known as a near-Earth full moon, occurs when the Earth-facing side of the moon is fully illuminated by the sun and is at its closest point in its orbit around the Earth.
The “flower moon” is named after the large number of flowers that appear in late spring. According to experts, a “flower moon” means that the moon will reach its closest point to Earth this year, the perigee, nine hours before it is fully illuminated.
NBC’s “Today Show” reported last week that the super blood moon will be visible in eastern Asia, the Pacific and the western United States. However, stargazers along the East Coast and much of the central United States may not be so lucky, as the moon is below the horizon during a total eclipse.
According to Forbes, the supermoon will be visible all over the world. However, only the Pacific Rim will be lucky enough to see the supermoon reach “totality” between 11:11 and 11:25 p.m. UTC.
The total blood moon eclipse will last approximately 14 minutes and 30 seconds, during which the full moon will pass through the Earth’s inner shadow, the umbra, before reverting to a bright supermoon.
Don’t worry if you don’t see the super blood moon this time. Here’s a preview: The next supermoon, the super “Strawberry Moon,” will appear on the East Coast on June 24, and there will be three more eclipses before 2022.
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