Technology
Stunning photos of eerie red Blood Moon after rare total lunar eclipseHarry PettitTechnology and Science – latest news | The Sun
AMAZING photos have captured a rare Super Flower Blood Moon as it lit up skies across the globe over the weekend.
The cosmic event occurs when a full lunar eclipse coincides with a Supermoon – which is when our rocky satellite is particularly close to Earth and appears brighter than usual.
ReutersPeople watch the moon rising by the Temple of Poseidon at the cape of Sounion, some 70 km south of Athens on May 15[/caption]
The full Super Flower Moon rises behind the antenna on top of One World Trade Center in New York City on May 15Getty
APAn aircraft flies past the full moon over Basra, Iraq on May 15[/caption]
For about 15 minutes, as the moon moves into our planet’s shadow, it appears to turn red – earning the name “Blood Moon”.
At the same time, the moon enters its perigee, or the closest point in its orbit to Earth, making it particularly large and bright in the sky.
The result for those with clear skies was a stunning sight visible across North and South America, Europe, Africa and the East Pacific.
The celestial showcase appeared on May 15 and 16 and was the first total lunar eclipse of the year.
Read more about space
Photographers captured the Super Flower Blood Moon over the U.K., U.S., Greece, Iraq, Russia and the island of Gran Canaria, Spain.
Stargazers took to social media to marvel at the sight.
One Twitter user wrote: “The Super Flower Blood Moon tonight looks so pretty, I can’t stop looking at it”.
Another said: “Sat outside with Nicole taking pictures of the moon because it reminds us that amidst all the chaos in the world, there are many things that are both beautiful and predictable.“
Most read in News Tech
The phenomenon has become known as the “Super Flower Blood Moon” given its combination of rare attributes.
The name comes from the fact that it is a Flower Moon, a blood moon and a Supermoon all rolled into one.
The Flower Moon is the traditional name for the full moon of May, given its appearance around springtime.
A “blood moon” happens when Earth’s moon is in a total lunar eclipse, causing it to briefly turn red or brown.
It may sound spooky, but it’s just a trick of the light caused by the bending of lightwaves before they hit our natural satellite.
Super Moons occur when the moon is at the closest point to Earth on its 27-day orbit of our planet.
Read More on The Sun
Astronomers typically define the phenomenon as a full moon that comes within 90 per cent of its closest point.
According to Nasa, there are between two to four lunar eclipses every year. Each one is visible over roughly half the Earth.
AlamyA dramatic super blood moon (right) is seen entering the early stages of a total lunar eclipse with a faint shadow beginning to darken from top left as seen from south east London. Pre-eclipse moon (left) seen an hour earlier[/caption]
ReutersThe Flower Moon rises behind the Arinaga lighthouse, before a lunar eclipse on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain[/caption]
APPeople are silhouetted as an almost full moon rises above the sky in Grozny, Russia[/caption]
Get all the latest Science newsKeep up-to-date with the top Space & Astronomy storiesAll the latest Archaelogy news from dinosaurs to Ancient artefacts
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk
Technology and Science – latest news | The Sun
