LOOK UP: Rare Super Flower Blood Moon total lunar eclipse is coming

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A rare full moon is quickly approaching and will mark not only a supermoon, but also a blood moon thanks to a lunar eclipse. It’ll happen Sunday night, May 15, 2022. The last total lunar eclipse happened about a year ago, on May 26, 2021.

According to NASA, a blood moon happens during a total lunar eclipse, when Earth is positioned directly between the moon and the sun, hiding the moon from sunlight. During this time, the moon presents a faint, reddish glow. This is because red wavelengths filter throughout our atmosphere onto the moon’s surface.

“When this happens, the only light that reaches the moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA explained. “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.”

The full moon this month will also be a supermoon, meaning it will appear larger and brighter than normal because it is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee.

In addition, this moon is known as the flower moon due to the numerous flowers associated with spring in our hemisphere.

A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with the naked eye – unlike a solar eclipse. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will only enhance the experience. The visible part of the eclipse will begin about an hour and a half after dark on Sunday night, NASA said, with totality following around midnight and lasting about an hour and a half. It will end around 2 a.m.

If skies are not optimal for viewing, don’t worry as NASA will be live-streaming the celestial event here.