Supermoon

SUPER FLOWER BLOOD MOON Tomorrow, May 26

 
 
Heads up, stargazers. Tomorrow, May 26, you can see the SUPER FLOWER BLOOD MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE from pretty much anywhere in the world.
 
It’s a Supermoon because the moon will be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
 
It’s a Flower Moon because that’s a nickname for the Spring moon.
 
And it’s a Blood Moon because the Earth will be positioned directly between the moon and the sun, blocking the sun’s rays and causing the moon to appear red.
 
Viewing times and details in the article below. Enjoy.
 

How to Watch this Week’s Spectacular “Super Flower Flood Moon” Lunar Eclipse

By Sophie Lewis

CBS News

The most spectacular full moon of 2021 is quickly approaching, gracing the night sky in all its glory on May 26. That date marks not just a supermoon, but also a blood moon, thanks to a lunar eclipse.

“When this happens, the only light that reaches the moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere,” the space agency explains. “The air molecules from Earth’s atmosphere scatter out most of the blue light. The remaining light reflects onto the moon’s surface with a red glow, making the moon appear red in the night sky.”

NASA says the result will be a “ring of light” around the moon. 

“Just how red it will look is hard to predict, but dust in the atmosphere can have an effect. (And keep in mind there have been a couple of prominent volcanic eruptions recently),” NASA said. 

Not only does May bring a lunar eclipse, but also the year’s best supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the moon appears larger than usual in the night sky because it is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, known as perigee. 

May’s full supermoon is known as the “Flower Moon,” and it marks the second of three supermoons this year. It’s appropriately named for the abundance of flowers associated with spring in the Northern Hemisphere. 

How to watch 

On Wednesday, May 26, the cosmic phenomenon will be at least partly visible anywhere on the night side of the planet, NASA said. Under clear weather conditions, skywatchers around the world will be able to enjoy the show. 

This includes parts of Asia and Australia, as well as much of the U.S. and South America. For skywatchers in the U.S., the best viewing will be in Hawaii, Alaska, and the western states, though the eclipse is partially visible further East during dawn twilight. And if you’re in the U.S. you should wake up early to see the rare celestial event. 

According to NASA, the peak of the eclipse will last for about 14 minutes, but the entire event will last about five hours, from 08:47:39 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to 13:49:41 UTC. It will peak at 11:19:52 UTC. 

This means that in Asia, the eclipse occurs in the early evening when the moon first rises, while on the west coast of the Americas, it occurs in the early morning hours, when the moon is setting. 

Solar eclipses should never be viewed with the naked eye, but lunar eclipses are completely safe to look at. 

Don’t worry if you’re not located in the best place to spot the eclipse. The Virtual Telescope Project will have a live feed of the entire event, starting at 3 a.m. PT on May 26. 

© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Super Pink Moon Tonight

Catch the “Super Pink Moon” tonight, April 7, 2020. It’s the first full moon of Spring, and the biggest full moon of 2020. The “Pink” in its name comes from native North American wildflowers that bloom in early springtime: Phlox subulata, known as “moss pink.”

Try not to think of it as an emblem of the coronavirus pandemic that’s sweeping the world right now.

Read more at CNN:  April’s ‘pink moon’ is the biggest supermoon of 2020

Super Worm Equinox Moon Tonight!

You’ve got to hand it to the astronomers, at least, for coming up with these names.

Tonight: The last Supermoon of 2019, plus the Spring equinox, plus the March “Worm Moon.”

What’s a Worm Moon, you ask?

Answer: “March’s full moon is sometimes called the “worm moon,” because according to folklore tradition, it occurs at a time when the frosty ground is melting and earthworms start to emerge.”

So tonight, go outside to enjoy a spectacular full moon and the start of Spring. But watch out for those worms.

How to See the “Super Worm Equinox Moon,” the Last Supermoon of 2019

The skywatching event coincides with the spring equinox, which heralds the start of a new season.

NBC News
March 19, 2019, 3:45 PM CDT
By Denise Chow

Get ready, skywatchers. The last supermoon of 2019 will be visible in the night sky Wednesday, coinciding with the spring equinox that heralds the start of a new season.

The March 20 spectacle will be the final of this year’s three back-to-back supermoons. The first was on Jan. 21, and the second — the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2019 — was on Feb. 19.

A supermoon is a full moon that has reached the closest point to Earth in its monthly elliptical orbit around the planet. As such, supermoons appear larger and brighter in the night sky, though these changes are typically far too subtle to detect.

Full moons can be observed with the naked eye and don’t require any special equipment. But, for skywatchers who are thwarted by clouds or bad weather, the Virtual Telescope Project, which remotely operates several telescopes in Italy, will livestream the skywatching event online. The broadcast, which will show the supermoon rising over Rome, will begin at 12:45 p.m. ET (16:45 UTC) on Wednesday.

The moon will reach its closest point to Earth — what’s known as lunar perigee — on Tuesday at 3:47 p.m. ET, but the moon won’t be completely full until Wednesday at 9:43 p.m. ET. The moon is usually about 240,000 miles away from Earth, but at perigee this month, it will come within about 223,300 miles of our planet, according to NASA.

The equinox will arrive at 5:58 p.m. ET on Wednesday, less than four hours before the full supermoon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the equinox is the official start of spring, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the beginning of autumn.

March’s full moon is sometimes called the “worm moon,” because according to folklore tradition, it occurs at a time when the frosty ground is melting and earthworms start to emerge.