#Moon total lunar eclipse 2021 full

This means during most full moons, the shadow misses the moon, as you can see in the diagram above. No one is completely sure why, but it might have to do with how the moon was likely formed: from a massive object smashing into Earth. The moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly matched up with Earth’s. Now, you might be thinking: “Why don’t we have lunar eclipses every full moon?” When the moon is full, it means the sun, Earth, and moon are in alignment.

The simple answer is “because the moon sometimes passes through the shadow of Earth.” But there’s more to it than that.Įclipses have to happen during a full moon. Whether or not you can see the eclipse, it’s still a cool phenomenon. (This happens once in every 14 full moons or so.) NASA Eclipse Website/Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFCĪs a consolation for those who can’t see the total eclipse, the moon will also be near its closest approach to Earth, making it a “supermoon” - meaning it will appear slightly larger in the sky for everyone on Earth. This will be the first total lunar eclipse since 2019. Convert UTC to your local time here.) On the night of the full moon, the moon rises in the east after the sun sets and then sets in the west before the sun rises. (This will be after sunrise for many parts of the world. If you’re in an area that can see the eclipse, its total phase will begin at 11:11 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on May 26 and end at 11:25 UTC. And if you’re in Eastern Australia, you’re in luck: The entire eclipse will be visible to you. Many parts of the Americas and Asia will be able to see a partial eclipse. Around moonset - right before sunrise - the West Coast of the United States will be able to see a nearly total eclipse. On May 26, the Earth will pass between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow across the moon’s surface and making it appear a deep red color for 14 minutes and 30 seconds.