Blood Moon
Highlights
- The first lunar eclipse of 2022 will take place on May 16
- It will be visible in parts of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, east Pacific, New Zealand
The first lunar eclipse of 2022 will be visible on May 16 (Monday). The moon will appear deep, rusty red color during this eclipse, and hence named the blood moon lunar eclipse. North American Skygazers can see the moon take on a reddish tint on the night of May 15-16. Almost a year after the last total lunar eclipse, the sight of the moon sliding into the shadows of the Earth returns and graces the sky.
On eclipse night, the Moon will seem around 12 per cent larger than it does when it's at apogee (farthest from Earth in its orbit). People across the UK can watch the blood moon lunar eclipse 2022, if the weather conditions remain clear. On the other hand, South America will see the whole event, starting on the evening of May 15th, while viewers in western Europe and Africa will have to set their alarms to enjoy the event in the hours before dawn on May 16th. ALSO READ: Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse 2022: Date, time, where to watch surya grahan and chandra graha
Mechanics of a Lunar Eclipse
A full lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon are in a straight line. The Moon slides into Earth's shadow, gradually darkening, until the entire lunar disk turns from silvery grey to an eerie dim orange or red. Then events unfold in reverse order, until the Moon returns to full brilliance. The whole process for the May 16th eclipse will take about five hours and 20 minutes.
Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse 2022: Date and Time
The partial eclipse will begin on May 15 at 10:28 PM EDT (0228 GMT on May 16). The total eclipse or Blood Moon will peak on May 16 at 12:11 AM, EDT (0411 GMT). Then the event ends at 1:55 AM. EDT (0555 GMT). The penumbral moon phase of the eclipse will begin about an hour earlier and end about an hour after the partial eclipse.
The eclipse will be visible in total phase from portions of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa and the East Pacific. A penumbral eclipse (where the edge of Earth's shadow will fall over the moon) is visible in New Zealand, eastern Europe and the Middle East. However, India will not be able to see the blood moon eclipse this year. It will begin at 07:02 in the morning and end at 12:20 in the afternoon.
