![]() The Greeks were among the first to take a scientific look at the Moon and her phases. What did he think it was? It’s not hard to imagine how the Moon became the source of many religions, myths and legends throughout the ages. Nothing on Earth was quite like this strange brilliant object arcing through the night sky. Imagine a Neanderthal peering out of his cave some dark summer night as the Full Moon rises above the horizon. The illustration below shows all eight main and minor Moon phases and where they occur in the lunar cycle. These interim phases are Waxing Crescent Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon and Waning Crescent Moon. Unlike the main phases, these minor phases don’t happen at a specific time or luminosity, rather they describe the Moon’s phase for the entire time period between each main phase. The remaining four Moon phases occur at halfway points between the main phases. To learn more about the exact time of the Full Moon and the current Full Moon info, check out these Current Full Moon times. In reality, the exact moment of the Full Moon can be timed to the second. When people say “today is a Full Moon” it’s important to remember that doesn’t mean the Moon is full all day long, only that the Full Moon Phase occurs on this day. The First and Last Quarter phases happen when the Moon is exactly half illuminated, with 50-percent luminosity. The New Moon Phase occurs when the Moon is completely dark with zero-percent luminosity, while the Full Moon Phase is completely bright with 100-percent luminosity. These phases occur at very specific times and are measured by both the Moon’s luminosity and how far along the Moon is in its orbit around Earth. The four main Moon phases in order are the New Moon, First Quarter Moon, Full Moon and Last Quarter Moon. The illustration is set to your computer’s clock and therefore gives you an accurate reading for your own particular time zone. The illustration above shows the range of illumination for today - June 08, 2023. And while the changes may seem slow, on any given day the amount of Moon illuminated by the Sun can vary by as much as 10-percent. NASA.It’s the Moon’s journey as it orbits around Earth that creates the predictable dance between light and shadow.Marshall Space Flight Center Meteoroid Environment Office.Search this blog Search for: Search Archives We haven’t had a total lunar eclipse occur with a supermoon in almost six years, and the next total lunar eclipse won’t happen over North America until May 2022. To catch totality – the period when all of the Moon’s surface is blanketed by the Earth’s dark shadow – look up between 4:11 and 4:26 a.m. Part of it will remain in the umbra until 5:53 a.m. ![]() PDT, with the Moon entering the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow at 2:45 a.m. ![]() The eclipse is set to begin May 26 at 1:46 a.m. “Folks in Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands will get to see the entirety of this eclipse – it will be quite a show for them,” said Bill Cooke, Lead, NASA Meteoroid Environments Office. Unlike a solar eclipse, you won’t need special glasses to view this lunar eclipse, just go outside and keep your head to the sky! The eclipse can be seen in its entirety in eastern Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. The total eclipse phase will be visible near moonset in the western United States and Canada, all of Mexico, most of Central America and Ecuador, western Peru, and southern Chile and Argentina. The color is so striking that lunar eclipses are sometimes called Blood Moons. During this type of eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker, taking on a rusty or blood-red color. But have you ever witnessed our own planet’s Moon turn red? If you haven’t, you’ll get your chance with this year’s only total lunar eclipse also happening May 26! It’s been nearly two and a half years since the last one.Ī total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow, or umbra. Mars is most commonly known as the Red Planet. May’s supermoon is also bringing a “super power” to change its color, and the color is red! A telescopic visualization of the 2021 total lunar eclipse.Ĭredits: NASA’s Scientifc Visualization Studio Yet, it’s not just bringing brightness and size. This is what is commonly referred to as a “supermoon”. This Full Moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Flower Moon because this was the time of year when spring flowers appeared in abundance.Ĭompared to other Full Moons in 2021, the Flower Moon will have the nearest approach to Earth, making it appear as the closet and largest Full Moon of the year. The Moon will be located on Earth’s opposite side from the Sun and fully illuminated May 26, 2021, at 6:13 a.m. As we approach month’s end, there is not one, not two, but three celestial events happening with our Moon!
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