Immediately after sunset on May 26, a ‘super blood moon’ will hang in the sky east-southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. At this time, the super moon and total lunar eclipse will combine to create a rare astronomical spectacle.
The “super blood moon” combined with the total lunar eclipse on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month will create a magnificent and beautiful sight that the people of our country as well as Asian countries can enjoy watching.
A super blood moon turns red-orange (right). The color fades during a partial lunar eclipse (center), followed by a penumbral eclipse, when the Moon appears in a faint gray (left). Photo: Getty Images. 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, obscuring 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. Right after sunset on May 26 (the full moon of the fourth lunar month), a “super blood moon” will hang in the sky to the east-southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. At this time, the supermoon and total lunar eclipse will combine to create a rare celestial image. This is Asia’s first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years – a brief but dramatic sight. This spectacle was observed for only 15 minutes from around the Pacific Rim, over the entire night part of the Earth. At this time, astronomy and sky lovers are hoping that the full moon night of April will be clear so they can watch the Moon turn red-orange. 
Phases of total lunar eclipse observed in Hong Kong in 2011. Photo: AFP What causes the “Super Blood Moon”? The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical orbit every 27 days, so every month there is one point when it is furthest from Earth and another when it is closest. This moving closer and further away causes tides in the oceans. When a full moon occurs at the point closest to the Earth, it is called a Super Moon. Supermoons have occurred several times this year, but this “Flower Moon” will be the closest of the year. “Sister Hang” will be located 357,311km from Earth just 9 hours before the “Blood Moon”, or total lunar eclipse. As a result, the full moon in April this year will be about 8% larger than the full moon on average. Usually that means a brighter moon, but not this month. However, those interested are looking forward to seeing the “king tide” in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. 
The blood moon eclipse, the longest of the 21st century, was observed over Hong Kong on July 27, 2018. Photo: Getty Images. When does a total lunar eclipse happen? The “blood moon” is the result of the full moon moving through the Earth’s shadow. This phenomenon can happen when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, but not often because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is eccentric, so it usually moves below or above the Earth’s shadow. If not, there would be a total lunar eclipse every month. The last time there was a partial lunar eclipse in Hong Kong was on July 17, 2019. 
Illustration of a total lunar eclipse that occurs when the Moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow. Why did the “Super Blood Moon” turn red? The only light you’ll see at the Moon as it rises over Hong Kong will be filtered by the Earth’s atmosphere first. The sun looks orange-red at dusk and dawn because red light has the longest wavelength. As a result, it moves through Earth’s atmosphere more easily, colliding with fewer molecules in the air as it passes (while blue has the shortest wavelength, thus hitting more obstacles and scattering, that’s why the sky is blue). The same thing happens during a total lunar eclipse. Because the Earth lies between the Sun and the Moon, light that can reach the Moon must first pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. 
People take pictures of the lunar eclipse from the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong in October 2014. Photo: AFP. When can you see the “Super Blood Moon”? The Pacific Rim – which includes East and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the island nations of the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of the US – will be able to see the total lunar eclipse on May 26. People in eastern Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii are said to have the best views of the “Blood Moon”. According to the timeanddate website, in Ho Chi Minh City, the moon rises at 6:07 pm on May 26, but at a low position and the total lunar eclipse phase will make the moon too dim, difficult to track until the moon rises. over the sky and the total lunar eclipse ends.
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