May’s Supermoon total eclipse has just happened – here’s some stunning snapshots
TODAY'S Supermoon has completed its total lunar eclipse, which was visible from several countries all over the world.
May's Full Moon is being referred to as a Blood Moon because it went into a total lunar eclipse and looked reddish from certain locations.
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The total lunar eclipse was visible from certain parts of the world including numerous US states, Australia, western South America and Southeast Asia.
Unfortunately, it wasn't visible from the UK but stargazing fans could watch it via a live-stream.
Time and Date is live-streaming the until later this afternoon.
That's because the Moon has a partial eclipse phase after it's total eclipse.
The total eclipse started at 12:11 BST and lasted for just under 15 minutes.
The Moon was at its fullest at 7:14am EDT (12:14pm BST) on May 26.
It will still look very large this evening.
It's also nicknamed the Flower Moon as that's the traditional name for May's Full Moon due to it's appearance around spring.
Not only is it nicknamed a Flower Moon and a Blood Moon but it will also be a Supermoon.
It's going to be the closest Supermoon of the year so you'll be able to spot it looking large on the evenings of May 25 and 26.
A total lunar eclipse doesn't mean the Moon disappears completely but it does mean the Moon turns a slightly reddish-orange colour.
How to see the Blood Moon in the US
The total lunar eclipse was visible from 11 US states at varying times.
People in Texas may have spotted it from 6:11-6:25am.
New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Utah were supposed to get visibility from 5:11-5:25am.
And, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington were predicted visibility from 4:11-4:25am.
What is a Blood Moon?
A Blood Moon happens when the Earth's orbit leads it in between the Sun and the Moon so the Sun's rays are blocked and don't reach the Moon.
Nasa explains: "When this happens, the only light that reaches the Moon's surface is from the edges of the Earth's atmosphere.
"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."
Why is it called a Flower Moon?
This month's full Moon is called the Flower Moon because it signifies spring.
Nasa explains: "Going by the seasons, as the second full Moon of spring, the Native American tribes of the northeastern United States called this the Flower Moon, as flowers are abundant this time of year in most of these areas.”
What is a Supermoon?
A Supermoon appears when a full Moon aligns with the point closest to the Earth during its elliptical orbit.
During this time it appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.
It wasn’t until 1979 that Richard Nolle first defined the Supermoon, which is now a widely-used term.
The astrologer explained that the phenomenon is “a new or full Moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit”.
Based on Nolle’s theory, the moon would have to be around 226,000 miles away from the Earth to be considered "super".
Because of its relatively close proximity to the Earth, the celestial body’s surface appears a lot bigger when a Supermoon occurs.
The different types of moons
Here are some of the most interesting moon phases and when to see them...
A Blue Moon refers to the occasion when a full Moon appears for the second time in the same month, this is very rare.
The Harvest Moon appears around the time of the autumnal equinox when farmers tend to do their main crop harvesting.
A Supermoon appears when it is at its closest point to Earth and therefore at its brightest.
A Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse.
Each month of the year actually has its own special full moon phenomenon, they are as follows:
- January: Wolf Moon
- February: Snow Moon
- March: Worm Moon
- April: Pink Moon
- May: Flower Moon
- June: Strawberry Moon
- July: Buck Moon
- August: Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Corn Moon
- October: Hunter's Moon
- November: Beaver Moon
- December: Cold Moon
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In other space news, a Nasa spacecraft has begun a 1.4billion-mile journey back to Earth after collecting rock samples from an ancient asteroid.
China's Mars rover has landed on the Red Planet after a treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute in "seven minutes of terror".
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And, Nasa has released historic first audio recordings captured on the surface of Mars.
What do you think of the Blood Moon? Let us know in the comments...
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