by A Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will occur this weekend, and here’s when to watch it.
The sun, moon and Earth will align on Sunday night for a total lunar eclipse on May 15, which occurs when the Earth positions itself between the sun and the full moon. As a result, the Earth casts a giant shadow on the lunar surface, giving the moon a striking reddish hue – which is why lunar eclipses are also called blood moons.
Sunday’s full moon is also considered a supermoon, meaning it appears larger and brighter than usual because it is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit, otherwise known as perigee.
The total lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa and the eastern Pacific. Meanwhile, a penumbral eclipse, where the outer part of the Earth’s shadow covers the moon, will be visible in New Zealand, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Related: How to watch the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse online
If you want to photograph the moon, check out our best astrophotography cameras and best astrophotography lenses. Read our guides on how to photograph a lunar eclipse as well as how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips for planning your lunar photo shoot.
Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse
If you take a photo of the 2021 total lunar eclipse, let us know! You can send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.
Depending on your location, a partial lunar eclipse starts May 15 at 10:28 pm EDT (0228 GMT on May 16). The Blood Moon will reach its peak at 0:11 am EDT (0411 GMT) on May 16 before the lunar eclipse ends at 1:55 am EDT (0555 GMT). The penumbral moon phase of the eclipse will begin about an hour before and end about an hour after the partial eclipse, according to TimeandDate.com.
Spectators who are lucky enough to be in the way of the lunar eclipse will have to leave early to witness the event. There will also be some live streams available on YouTube from NASA Science Live, Slooh and TimeandDate.com.
Related: The 2022 Super Flower Blood Moon stages explained
NASA live stream starts at 21:32 on 15 May (0132 GMT on 16 May). It will include a discussion of eclipses, lunar science, and the agency’s Artemis moon landing program. Slooh, an astronomy learning site, begin their webcast on May 15 at 9:30 pm EDT (May 16 0130 GMT). TimeandDate plans to broadcast the entire lunar eclipse, weather permitting, from 10pm EDT May 15 (0200 GMT May 16).
This will be the first of two lunar eclipses in 2022. The next one will take place on November 8, 2022 and will be visible at least partially from Asia, Australia, North America, parts of northern and eastern Europe, the Arctic and much of South America, according to TimeandDate.com.
Editor’s Note: If you take an amazing photo of the lunar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com readers, please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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