On the evening of May 26, the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years will coincide with a supermoon in a special combination of the universe known as a ‘super blood moon’. The best place to observe this eclipse will be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, all of Australia, east of Asia and west of the Americas. Vietnamese astronomy lovers can also observe this phenomenon.
Total lunar eclipse in Mechelen, Belgium, January 21, 2019. Photo: Getty Images. On the evening of May 26, the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years will coincide with a super moon in a special combination of the universe known as a “super blood moon”. The best place to observe this eclipse will be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, all of Australia, east of Asia and west of the Americas. Vietnamese astronomy lovers can also observe this phenomenon. A total lunar eclipse will last about 15 minutes as the Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun. The entire phenomenon will last five hours, as Earth’s shadow gradually envelops the moon, then begins to diminish. The moon will be orange-red when all sunrises and sunsets in the Earth’s atmosphere are projected onto the surface of the eclipsed moon. Why is it called a super moon? A supermoon occurs when the moon is full at the point where the moon’s orbit brings it closest to Earth. And the “blood moon” appears as it moves through the Earth’s shadow, blocking the light from the sun. A combination of such events will occur on May 26, with a total lunar eclipse followed by a partial lunar eclipse, the moon appearing in red, then fading to gray. The moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle. This means that the moon’s distance from Earth changes as it orbits the planet. The closest point in orbit, called perigee, is about 45,000 kilometers closer to Earth than the farthest point of the orbit. A full moon that occurs near perigee is called a supermoon. 
The Moon when it is closest to Earth is about 12% larger than when it is furthest. Source: Wikimedia. So why call it super? The Moon’s relatively close proximity makes it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual, although the difference between a supermoon and a normal moon is often barely noticeable unless you’re looking at the two side-by-side photos. together. 
The moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle. Source: Wikimedia. How does a lunar eclipse work? A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s shadow covers all or part of the Moon. This can only happen during a full moon, so first, let’s understand what makes a full moon. Like the Earth, half of the moon is illuminated by the sun at any given time. A full moon occurs when the moon and sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. This allows you to see the entire illuminated side, which looks like a circular disk in the night sky. If the moon had a perfectly flat orbit, each full moon would be a lunar eclipse. But the Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees relative to Earth’s. So most of the time the full moon lies slightly above or below the shadow formed by the Earth. But twice in each lunar orbit, the moon lies on the same horizontal plane as both the Earth and the sun. If this corresponds to a full moon, then the sun, Earth, and moon will form a straight line, and the moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow. This leads to a total lunar eclipse. To see a lunar eclipse, you need to stay awake at night, when the moon passes through the shadow. 
The phases of the moon correspond to how bright humans can see from Earth. Source: Wikimedia. Why is the moon red? When the moon is completely covered by Earth’s shadow, it will darken, but not turn completely black. Instead, it is red, which is why a total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a red or blood moon. Sunlight contains all colors of visible light. The gaseous particles that make up the Earth’s atmosphere are more likely to scatter light of blue wavelengths while red wavelengths pass through. This is called Rayleigh scattering, and it’s why the sky is blue, and sunrises and sunsets are often red. 
Earth’s atmosphere gives the moon its blood-red glow during total lunar eclipses. Photo: Wikimedia. In the case of a lunar eclipse, red light can pass through Earth’s atmosphere and be refracted – or bent – towards the moon, while blue light is filtered out. This causes the moon to appear light red during a lunar eclipse. How does Vietnam watch the total lunar eclipse? According to the Vietnam Astronomical Association (VACA), Wednesday evening, May 26, in Vietnam, most of the central and southern regions will be able to observe the full phase of this phenomenon, while in the north only partially traceable phase. Total lunar eclipse time in Vietnam: – Midnight lunar eclipse begins: 15:47 – Partial lunar eclipse begins: 16 hours 44 minutes – Total lunar eclipse starts: 18:11 – Maximum lunar eclipse: 18 hours 18 minutes – Total lunar eclipse ends: 18 hours 25 minutes – Partial lunar eclipse ends: 19:52 – Midnight lunar eclipse ends: 20 hours 49 minutes. In the northern region: The moon rises above the horizon at the end of the total phase. The observer can only track the partial phase of the phenomenon. For example, in Hanoi, the moon rises at 6:29 pm on May 26. Thus, the observer can almost fully follow the later phase of a partial lunar eclipse from that point to its end. Sometime before 19 o’clock, this partial phase still has very high coverage and is very noticeable. In the central and southern regions: Most of the central provinces will be able to track the last part of the total phase, while most southern provinces will be able to track the entire phase if the viewing angle is wide enough to see the eastern horizon. In Ho Chi Minh City, the moon rises at 18:07, that is, before the total phase begins, and therefore observers in this area and surrounding areas can fully monitor the total phase. Although the total phase can be seen in many areas, at that time the moon is so low that it will be difficult to see in places where visibility to the east is obstructed. The most favorable observation positions to monitor this period are places with a wide view to the East: areas without front houses, roofs or windows of high-rise buildings, the coast… On November 19, astronomical lovers around the world will continue to see an almost total lunar eclipse, the moon dims but does not turn red like this time. The next total lunar eclipse will occur in May 2022. The last total lunar eclipse was in January 2019.
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