NASA give demonstration on how a lunar eclipse occurs
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Blood Moons are few and far between but offer an unforgettable experience for those lucky enough to witness eclipse totality. The last Blood Moon visible from the UK unfolded two years ago on the night of January 20. Since then, there has been one partial and four penumbral eclipses – astronomical phenomena that pale in comparison to a total eclipse.
Amateur astronomers who missed the last Blood Moon will be, therefore, pleased to know another total eclipse of the Moon is just around the corner.
The eclipse will unfold early on Wednesday, May 26, when this month’s Full Moon – the so-called Flower Moon – dips into Earth’s central shadow, the umbra.
Refracted sunlight scattered around the edges of Earth’s atmosphere will then bathe the Moon in a rusty red-orange glow, giving birth to the ominous-sounding Blood Moon.
You will also get to see this year’s biggest and brightest Full Moon as the lunar orb will be near its nearest point from Earth during the eclipse – a so-called Supermoon.
The main question on everyone’s mind, however, is whether the spectacle will be visible from the UK.
Will the Blood Moon be visible from the UK?
Unfortunately for hopeful stargazers in the UK, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, you won’t be able to see the Blood Moon.
Eclipsing will start and finish early on Wednesday but in the daytime hours.
Partial eclipsing of the Moon will begin by about 10.44am BST (9.44am UTC) with total eclipsing by 12.11pm BST (11.11am UTC).
Maximum eclipse or the Blood Moon’s halfway point will peak at 12.18pm BST (11.18am UTC) and the spectacle will wrap up by 2.49pm BST (1.49pm UTC).
https://www.youtube.com/embed/PBRrtbLHZDo
The Blood Moon will be best seen from parts of North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific as well as South and East Asia.
Astronomer Tom Kerss, host of the Star Signs: Go Stargazing! podcast, explained: “This week’s headline act comes courtesy of the Moon, although it’s not available for everyone.
“On Wednesday, the Full Flower Moon is going to pass into the shadow of Earth, creating an eclipse that will cast deep red light across its face.
“This is just barely a total lunar eclipse as the entirety of the Moon will sit inside the deep umbral shadow of the Earth during the maximum moment, which is at 11.18am in the morning, Greenwich Meantime.
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“This greatest eclipse, as it’s called occurs when the Moon is overhead in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
“So if you’re in Hawaii where the eclipse begins on Tuesday night local time, you will have a fantastic view when the Moon is near its highest in the sky.
“But the eclipse is also widely visible across Australia and New Zealand as the Moon is rising there.
How to watch the Blood Moon online?
Courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, you can still catch a glimpse of the Blood Moon without leaving the comfort of your home.
You can watch the free event in the embedded video player above.
The Blood Moon live stream is scheduled to kick off at 11am BST on Wednesday.
Dr Gianluca Masi, head of the Virtual Telescope, said: “As in the past, the Virtual Telescope Project will partner with some great astro-imagers there to bring to you the stunning beauty of such a unique event.
“Yes, it will be somewhat unique: the 26 May 2021 Full Moon will be both a ‘Supermoon’ (the largest Full Moon of the year, by the way) and a ‘Blood Moon’, something we really want to share with you.”
The stream will then kick off again later in the day to show the Flower Moon rising over the historic skyline of Rome.
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