There’s a total lunar eclipse of the Blood Moon this weekend, and here’s when to watch it.
The sun, moon and earth will align on Sunday evening for a total lunar eclipse on May 15, which occurs when the earth moves between the sun and the full moon. As a result, Earth casts a huge shadow across the lunar surface, giving the moon a striking reddish hue — which is why lunar eclipses are also known as blood moons.
Sunday’s full moon is also considered a supermoon, meaning it looks larger and brighter than usual because it is closest to Earth in its orbit, also 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 will be visible across New Zealand, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with the outer portion of Earth’s shadow covering the Moon.
Related: How to watch the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse online
If you want to photograph the moon, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Read our guides to photographing a lunar eclipse as well as photographing the moon with a camera for some helpful tips on planning your lunar photo session.
Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse
If you snap a photo of the 2021 total lunar eclipse, let us know! You can send pictures and comments to spacephotos@space.com.
Depending on your location, a partial lunar eclipse begins May 15 at 10:28 p.m. EDT (0228 GMT on May 16). The blood moon will be reach Peak at 00:11 EDT (0411 GMT) on May 16 before the lunar eclipse ends at 1:55 p.m. EDT (0555 GMT). The penumbral phase of the eclipse begins about an hour earlier and ends about an hour after the partial eclipse, according to TimeandDate.com.
Spectators lucky enough to be in the path of the lunar eclipse will need to get outside early to catch the event. There will also be some live streams on YouTube from NASA Science Live, Slooh and TimeandDate.com.
Related: The stages of the 2022 Super Flower Blood Moon explained
Live stream from NASA begins at 21:32 on May 15 (0132 GMT May 16). It will include a discussion of eclipses, lunar science, and the agency’s Artemis program to land on the moon. Slooh, an astronomy learning website, will begin their webcast on May 15 at 9:30 p.m. EDT (May 16 0130 GMT). TimeandDate plans to broadcast the entire lunar eclipse, weather permitting, from 10am EDT May 15 (0200 GMT May 16).
This will be the first of two Lunar eclipses in 2022. The next will take place on November 8, 2022 and will be visible, at least in part, from Asia, Australia, North America, parts of northern and eastern Europe, the Arctic and most of South America, according to reports TimeandDate.com.
Editor’s note: If you capture an amazing photo of the lunar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @spacedotcom and further Facebook.