This super flower blood moon coming tonight will be one of the earliest, brightest, and most profound this century.
This lunar event will happen tonight between moonrise and moonset. People worldwide will be able to spectate such a natural wonder from anywhere on Earth, with the best seats in the house in America and West Africa.
According to NASA, a blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, when the Earth is positioned directly between the moon and the sun, hiding the moon from sunlight. The reason it’s called a “flower moon” is that it occurs in May when flowers are growing in abundance throughout the northern hemisphere.
According to Nasa, when the eclipse is in full swing, the moon will have a faint and reddish glow as the longer red wavelengths travel through our atmosphere and onto the moon’s surface. These colors can run the gamut of orange, yellow and brown.
“When this happens, the only light that reaches the moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere,” according to a statement from Nasa. “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.”
So the question remains, when and where will people be able to witness this super flower blood moon? According to data from timeanddate.com, here is how and why you want to watch the rare lunar occurrence of the year from Pennsylvania:
These are the reasons this is an event you won’t want to miss:
- Rising full moons will leave you in awe of its beauty.
- Supermoons are grandiose in scale and will leave you breathless.
- Super flower moons are extremely rare and happen only once a year or every couple of years.
- You can get your kids interested in science and astronomy.
- It’s a perfect event for a date night, grab a blanket, a picnic basket, and a loved one and watch the event from start to finish.
You will be able to see the super flower blood moon from Pennsylvania at these times:
- The partial eclipse starts at 10:28 p.m. The face of the moon will get gradually darker until totality peaks at 12:11 a.m.
- Monday. Totality will last about 1 hour and 25 minutes, and the eclipse is over at 1:55 a.m.
- The moon will continue to shine until dawn, setting at 5:49 a.m. Monday.
According to Nasa, Lunar eclipses only happen during a full moon, when the moon is opposite the sun in its orbit of Earth. In a total lunar eclipse, the sun fully illuminates the face of the moon. During an eclipse, the entire moon enters the darkest part of Earth’s umbra.
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is completely safe for viewing and doesn’t require a pinhole or filtered glasses to watch.
Eclipse visibility map for the May 15-16, 2022 total lunar eclipse for Pennsylvania.
According to NASA, viewers in the Eastern U.S. will see the eclipse begin with the moon well above the horizon, while those in the central part of the country will see it start about an hour and a half after dark. The West Coast will see the moon rise when totality is already underway, so the best views will be to the southeast. East Coast viewers will be able to see the sight positioned high in the sky with nothing blocking its view, but those on the West Coast should look for a clear spot to watch the event.
According to timeanddate.com, this will be the longest prime-time total lunar eclipse on the West Coast this century.
If you don’t have the best seat in the house or want to watch the super flower moon from the comfort of your home Nasa has your back.
NASA will be live streaming this lunar occurrence, showing the super flower moon from various vantage points and locations for those in sub-optimal viewing conditions.
