Spectacular 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Lunar Eclipse to Appear This Week

According to "The Old Farmer's Almanac," stargazers are in for a treat come Tuesday, May 25, and Wednesday, May 26, as there will be a special astronomical phenomenon.

"The Old Farmer's Almanac" shared an interesting article that gave insight into the astronomical phenomenon that is happening this week on Tuesday, May 25, and Wednesday, May 26.

The event is dubbed the "Super Flower Blood Moon" as a supermoon, and a lunar eclipse will happen simultaneously. The name can seem a bit confusing, but it explains a lot once it is broken down.

WHY SUPER?

The super of "Super Flower Blood Moon" refers to a supermoon. This happens when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth on its oval orbit around our planet. Therefore, the moon appears larger than usual.

In fact, this May, the moon will be the biggest and brightest than it has all year, as it is the closest supermoon of the year. It will be roughly 220 000 miles away from the Earth.

WHY FLOWER?

The supermoon is called the flower moon because May sees the growth and blooming of various flowers as it is a spring month. "The Old Farmer's Almanac" stated that it also comes from Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.

It is interesting to note that each month has its own full moon, as the moon cycle runs over 29.5 days. Each full moon has its own name, starting with January, called the "Wolf Moon," ending with December with the "Cold Moon."

Find a location without an obstructed view of the horizon to see the moon at its brightest.

WHY BLOOD?

Early on Wednesday morning, the moon will have a reddish hue for some stargazers as it perfectly aligns with the Earth and the Sun and fully passes through the Earth's shadow. This is called a Lunar eclipse. "Blood" refers to the red color of the moon.

The red color is created by the red-orange light refracting through the Earth's atmosphere. The moon can sometimes appear redder if there is dust or clouds in the atmosphere. There have been nine lunar eclipses over the last ten years.

WHO WILL SEE IT?

Astronomers insisted that all those who have a clear sight of the moon on Tuesday and Wednesday will be able to see the super moon. However, there are only a few areas that will be able to see the lunar eclipse.

In North America, only stargazers in the western U.S. and Canada will see the eclipse. For the rest of the world, only central and southern America will have an opportunity to see the blood moon.

The full moon will peak just after 7 a.m. (Eastern time) on Wednesday and appear close to or below the horizon. So go on an outdoor adventure on Tuesday night to catch a glimpse of the supermoon.

Find a location without an obstructed view of the horizon to see the moon at its brightest. Even find out when the moon will be visible in your area so you can be sure to see it.