‘Blood Moon’ Coming to the Skies Near You Next Week
If you're the type of person who loves to gaze in wonderment at the heavens above us, you've got a real treat coming your way next week.
The year's only 'blood moon' will be making an appearance in the early hours of May 26. It's the closest the moon will be to Earth all year - 222,022 miles away.
So what is a 'blood moon'?
According to Space.com, it's a total lunar eclipse of the Earth's moon combined with May's first Flower Moon, which will create what experts call a 'supermoon' that will turn the image of the moon into a much more reddish tint.
But if you want to see it, you'll have to get up early.
The best places for viewing will actually be in Australia and New Zealand, but there will still be some nice visuals of the event in North America.
According to TimeAndDate.com, in South Dakota, we'll be treated to a partial eclipse beginning at 3:47 AM on May 26 with maximum impact coming at 6:06 AM and lasting just three minutes.
It's our first 'blood moon' in more than two years. The last occurring in January 2019, in conjunction with a Full Wolf Moon, earning it the title 'Super Blood Wolf Moon'.
We won't have to wait another two years for our next total lunar eclipse. It comes up in less than 12 months - May 16, 2022 - and it's expected to be around for an impressive 84 minutes.