A blood moon, supermoon and total lunar eclipse – all rolled into one – will be visible across Australia on Wednesday 26 May, 2021. Be warned: this trick of the light upon the moon will look pretty spooky (as the moon will look blood red) but, if you’ve ever wanted to see the moon at its biggest, brightest and darkest, this is your chance! This celestial event won’t happen again for another year.
The best time to view the total lunar eclipse
The best time to watch the lunar eclipse will vary depending on the state in which you live. If you live in Adelaide or Darwin, the best time to catch a glimpse of the orange and red moon is 8:41pm to 8:55pm. Residents of all other states should look up between 9:11pm and 9:25pm to experience the ultimate night-sky extravaganza.
The rare total lunar eclipse is the first of its kind for the year. It is expected to be so bright that you’ll be able to observe it from your back deck without the need for a telescope.
Simultaneous blood moon, supermoon and total lunar eclipse explained
If you’re wondering how it can be three unique types of a moon at once here’s how.
A supermoon, as we saw with the recent pink supermoon, occurs when a full moon reaches its closest point to earth and is directly opposite the sun, making it brighter and bigger than usual.
A total lunar eclipse is when the earth moves between the sun and the moon and the earth’s shadow covers all or part of a full moon. This causes the moon to darken, and take on a red tinge otherwise known as a blood moon.
According to Shannon Schmoll at The Conversation, “To see a lunar eclipse, you need to be on the night side of the Earth while the Moon passes through the shadow.” It just so happens that this is exactly where Australia will be positioned at the time of the eclipse on May 26.
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