Super flower blood moon - it may sound strange but is expected to be an impressive night sight
"The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" — Sky watchers get a chance to see the blood moon this Sunday, though hopefully less dramatic than what the book of Revelation from the Bible described.
This phenomenon will be due to a total lunar eclipse and is expected to be an impressive sight as at least three different occurrences are coming together to make this event special.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the the earth is positioned directly between the sun and moon and the earth's shadow blocks the sun's light from illuminating the moon's surface. As the moon moves into the earth's shadow the sun's light gets filtered by the atmosphere blocking out the blue light and the moon appears to turn red.
Also interesting is it will be a super moon, when the moon is at its closest to earth in its orbit, which makes it appear larger in our sky. Also called perigee, at that time it will be 225,015 miles from earth. For comparison, at its furthest point, or apogee, it is 252,088 miles away.
When is the best time to see the blood moon?
This particular total lunar eclipse is expected to be one of the longest lasting of the decade, giving watchers about an hour and a half to see it.
The moon will go charcoal in color just before turning red, according to National Geographic, and the best time to see the blood moon will be between 11:29 p.m. eastern on May 15 through 12:54 a.m. on May 16.
The eastern half of North America is expected to be within the viewing area, but weather could be a factor here in Vermont. The National Weather Service in Burlington is predicting the possibility of rain showers Sunday night. The clouds could block the night sky and moon.
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If you can't see it in person, NASA will livestream it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGIaEIICIcs.
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May full moons are also called a flower moon — so this event has the distinction of being called a super flower blood moon.
If you miss this one, there will be another total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8.
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Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Watch the super flower blood moon total lunar eclipse in Vermont
