STARGAZERS are going to be in for a treat as this month’s full moon is expected to be the brightest of the year.
May’s “Flower Moon” will be closest to Earth tomorrow, compared to all other full moons for the remainder of 2021.
At 357,462 km from Earth, the moon will appear 30% brighter and 14% larger – meaning it is classified as a “super moon”.
A so-called super moon occurs when a full moon occurs at or near the time the moon reaches its closest point to Earth – a point known as perigee.
Although the May super moon is at its maximum at 12:13 p.m. tomorrow, in the middle of the day it will appear full for two days.
Credit: PA Media
The best time to catch it at its most impressive will be tomorrow at dawn, or tomorrow evening, after sunset – and conditions should be clear in Brighton.
The super moon will rise in the east about half an hour after sunset, around 9:30 p.m., and will be visible all night.
Tomorrow’s super moon also coincides with the first total lunar eclipse since January 2019 – but sadly that won’t be visible in the UK.
Astronomers in the western United States and South America, Australia and Southeast Asia will have the chance to see the moon turn red as light is reflected from Earth’s atmosphere , the red light of the sun hitting the moon.
The next total lunar eclipse – also known as the “Blood Moon” – will be visible in the UK next year on May 16, 2022 – with a partial lunar eclipse visible this year on November 19.
The May Flower Moon is so named because of the spring flowers that bloom this month.
Other names for it include the corn plantation moon, the milk moon, and the Vesak festival moon – which refers to the festival observed by Buddhists to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-25 15:30:00
