A total lunar eclipse that produced a deep red blood moon made its way across the night sky Sunday night into Monday morning, giving stargazers a dramatic, multi-part show.
Around 9:30 p.m. ET on May 15, the moon began to pass into Earth’s shadow. It reached totality within roughly two hours and was fully within Earth’s shadow for some 85 minutes.
Instead of going dark, though, the moon turned a dramatic red.
Also known as a “Blood Moon,” this happens because the sunlight shining directly onto Earth passes through the atmosphere and is projected onto the moon, giving it a red hue.
“This same effect is what gives sunrises and sunsets a reddish-orange color,” NASA explains.
The Moon’s appearance was also affected by a volcanic eruption on January 15 that sent millions of tons of particles into the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The volcanic dust from the Tonga eruption certainly had its effect on totality, making the blood moon look a bit darker than usual,” says Now Habersham weather forecaster Tyler Penland.
Clouds rolled in and out, obscuring views in some areas, but for those who were able to see the eclipse, it was all the more stunning because of the Moon’s size. The eclipse coincided with a super Moon – the point when the celestial body is closest to Earth in its orbit. This confluence of events resulted in the eclipse being dubbed the Super Flower Blood Moon of May 2022.
Awed by the spectacle, Now Habersham readers shared their photos and thoughts on social media.
One observer accurately noted, “Cell phone pics definitely don’t do it justice. Very awesome thing to witness!”
“It looked so peaceful and beautiful,” wrote Nancy Marzilli.
Ed Bray, Jr., watched the lunar eclipse from Minnesota and said what most observers were thinking, “it’s awesome!”
“Ultimately, it was a fantastic eclipse, and I am already excited about the next one in November,” says Penland.
According to NASA, the next total lunar eclipse is expected on November 8.
