The full moon has captivated people for centuries, and when you see the ‘flower moon’ rise this weekend, you’ll immediately know why.
Perhaps the simplest and most impressive object to see in the night sky with the naked eye, our natural satellite in space rises at dusk in the east and is bright on only one evening in each 29-day period — a “moon.” shines all night before setting in the west at dawn.
Exquisite timing is required to see and photograph this 2,160-mile-diameter rock, especially as it appears on the horizon — a brief period in which it glows with a subtle orange glow.
It means being in the right place at the right time, having a lot of patience and, in the case of photography, being able to work quickly.
Take a trip around the world and check out stunning photos of this week’s full ‘flower moon’ as it melted into tranquil landscapes and urban skylines alike, and was partially eclipsed by Earth in some parts of the world.
May’s Full Moon—called the “Flower Moon” in North America, but also known as the “Rabbit Moon,” “Corn Planting Moon,” and “Milk Moon”—rose around the world, as usual, toward sunset in the east.
However, from some parts of the world – notably from Eastern Europe and throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and parts of the Pacific – one was seen penumbra Lunar eclipse, when the full “flower moon” moved through Earth’s fuzzy outer shadow (its penumbra) for a few hours.
What observers noticed was little more than a dip in the full moon’s brightness and a subtle shading across its surface. However, this was particularly deep during penumbral lunar eclipses.
It was actually the deepest penumbral eclipse up until September 29, 2042, and as close to a partial lunar eclipse as you can get, according to Timeanddate.com.
That’s because, although it only moved through Earth’s penumbra, it almost brushed the interior, darker umbra.
The next lunar eclipse will take place on 5/6. May 2023 will take place when the moon’s edge dips into Earth’s umbra to cause a slight partial lunar eclipse. North America will once again fall short, but all of Europe will get a good view.
The next total lunar eclipse – also known as the “blood moon” – when the entire moon enters the umbra of the earth, will not take place until the 13th/14th. March 2025.
Reddish full moons may be rare, but orange is commonly seen at all moonrises, eclipsed or not.
This is because short-wavelength light, such as blue and green, strikes and scatters molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, while longer-wavelength light, such as red and orange, travels more easily through the Earth’s atmosphere, allowing the dominant colors to reach the viewer’s eyes.
When the moon is near the horizon, it also appears larger than when it is higher in the sky. This is called the “moon illusion” and is still not fully understood by scientists. It certainly has something to do with context – look at the moonrise next to a building and it will appear larger than it is. Once it’s high in a black sky, it looks tiny.
The shots here of a huge looking moon use a special technique in which the photographer identifies a foreground object – like people, a building or other landmark – and then pulls far back.
Then they use a very large and long telephoto lens to take a close-up, which in turn makes the background – the moon – appear huge. Setting up a recording like this takes a lot of planning.
The next full moon will be the “Strawberry Moon,” which will rise on June 4, 2023.
I wish you clear skies and big eyes.
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