Ready for the Super Flower Blood moon? Here’s how to see it

Starry night lovers rejoice! The Super Flower Blood Moon is around the corner.

This lunar eclipse is called a Blood Moon because of its reddish hue - this event happens when the Earth begins to align itself between the moon and sun.

When the Earth passes between the moon and sun, the sun’s light goes through the Earth’s atmosphere, and blue light is scattered.

As this happens, the light is essentially bent as it focuses on the moon, which ends up being reflected back to us as a blood-red moon.

This doesn’t happen every full moon because the plane of the moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees from the plane of the Earth’s orbit, and the moon “misses” the shadow of the Earth.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which is only visible along a narrow track, lunar eclipses are visible from the entire night side of the Earth.

This blood moon will also be the only total lunar eclipse of 2021!

Sounds interesting? Here’s everything you need to know about catching the supermoon eclipse.

What is a Super Flower Blood Moon?

A Super Flower Blood Moon, a lunar eclipse, is named after the abundance of flowers present in the spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Lunar eclipses occur when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth as the sun.

Generally, we tend to see full moons in a lunar eclipse. However, when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow, an eclipse happens.

Space.com also states Lunar eclipses are visible from the entire night side of the Earth and takes about five hours from beginning to end.

When is the Super Flower Blood Moon?

The Super Flower Blood moon is from May 25-27, 2021.

Where can I see it?

Onlookers in Asia, Australia, South America, and much of the United States will be able to catch the rare moment.

The best places in the U.S. to watch are Alaska, Hawaii, and western U.S. states.

Is it safe to look at with the naked eye?

Yes, because you are looking at the moon at night time. On the other hand, solar eclipses are dangerous because you are looking directly at the sun, which can harm your vision.

What time can it be seen?

The celestial moment will occur from 08:47:39 UTC to 13:49:41 UTC. The peak is at 11:19:52 UTC.

How long does it last?

NASA notes that it will last 14 minutes, but the entire event is five hours.

In Asia, the eclipse will occur in the early evening when the moon first rises. For the west coast in the Americas, the eclipse will be seen in the early morning when the moon starts to set.

What if I’m not located in a place to see this?

If you don’t happen to be in a great spot to see the eclipse, the Virtual Telescope Project will be live streaming on May 26, 2021, at 3am PT.