Super flower blood moon lunar eclipse: How to watch, what to expect, other eclipses in 2022

Something extraordinary will be coming to the night sky near you on Sunday.

During the "super flower blood moon" lunar eclipse this weekend, the moon will only receive sunlight bent through the earth's atmosphere and will change color over the minutes, from gray to pink to orange to red.

Here’s what you need to know and how to watch this extremely rare phenomenon.

What's a lunar eclipse?

There are two types of eclipses: lunar and solar. NASA says during a lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow obscures the moon. During a solar eclipse, the moon blocks the sun from view.

According to NASA, a lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align so that the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the moon is within the umbra, it will turn a reddish hue. This is where the term “blood moon” comes into play.

What's a supermoon?

A supermoon means the moon looks a bit bigger than usual since it's a bit closer to the earth. On average, supermoons appear about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical full moon.

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"Because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle, the moon is sometimes closer to the Earth than at other times during its orbit," according to NASA.

The Old Farmer's Almanac reports that there will be four supermoons this year.

It's also the 'flower' moon

Sunday's sky show is also the "flower" moon, a name given to May's full moon because "flowers spring forth across North America in abundance this month," the Old Farmer's Almanac said.

The full moon names used by the Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American and European sources. Traditionally, each full moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full moon.

Other names for May's full moon include the corn planting moon and the milk moon, NASA said.

How can I watch the eclipse?

NASA says that you don’t need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view and the red color. A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions.

The eastern half of the United States and all of South America will have the opportunity to see every stage of the lunar eclipse, NASA says. Totality will be visible in much of Africa, western Europe, Central and South America, and most of North America.

If it’s cloudy in your area, NASA will feature livestreams of the eclipse from locations across the United States. NASA will also host an episode of NASA Science Live from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET. Watchers will have the opportunity to tune in and ask lunar eclipse questions using #AskNASA on social media.

What can I expect to observe?

According to NASA’s website, the partial eclipse begins at 10:27 p.m. ET Sunday as the moon will begin to enter the earth’s umbra.

At 10:29 p.m. CT, the entire moon will be in the earth’s umbra, causing it to turn a coppery-red color.

At 11:53 p.m., the moon will exit the earth’s umbra and the red color will fade.

At 1:50 a.m. on Monday, the eclipse will be officially over.

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What else can I see?

The moon will be in the constellation Libra. For more skywatching tips for the month of May, visit solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/home.

When are the eclipses for 2022?

According to Sky & Telescope’s website, there are only four eclipses to make an appearance this year. The first eclipse of 2022 occurred on April 30. It was a partial solar eclipse but only could be viewed in South America.

This super flower blood moon lunar eclipse is the second on the list.

There will be a partial solar eclipse on Oct. 25. However, it will only be visible in Europe, West Asia and Northeast Africa.

But don’t fret. There will be another total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, which will be visible in North and South America, Pacific and East Asia.

Taylor Worsham is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: May 2022 lunar eclipse: See super flower blood moon