Super Blood Moon Eclipse or Total Lunar Eclipse will be witnessed this year on May 26 as per the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It will be the first total lunar eclipse of 2021. The Super Blood Moon eclipse will be the first seen in over two years.
The full moon on May 26 will be the biggest supermoon of this year. While the eclipse takes place, a full moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow. It seems red, known as a “blood moon”, as light is scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere, similar to which during a sunset.
The reason the moon will appear big is that the moon will be at perigee. Moon will be at the closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it seem about 7% bigger than normal and 15% brighter or a “super moon,” as per the astronomers. May’s full moon is also called the “Flower Moon” since it happens when spring flowers are in bloom.
The eclipse will take place for around 15 minutes as Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun. But the entire display will last five hours, as Earth’s shadow gradually covers the moon, then starts to decrease. The reddish-orange color is the effect of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected onto eclipsed moon’s surface.
The eclipse will occur in the early morning hours on Wednesday in western North America, with people in Alaska and Hawaii getting the best views. It can also be observed in southern Chile and Argentina. Skygazers in all of Australia and New Zealand and parts of Southeast Asia can view the eclipse on Wednesday evening.
