See the first Super Flower Blood Moon photos from May's total lunar eclipse
It's sweeping across the Americas, Europe and other densely populated regions as we speak.
A full Super Flower Blood Moon is blooming in the night sky.
If the skies are clear right now, look outside tonight (Sunday, May 15) and early Monday (May 16) to watch the red moon in eclipse.
The event takes place during the Flower Moon, the May full moon, and it is also a supermoon tonight. These two milestones together make this the Super Flower Blood Moon of May 2022.
You can watch the lunar eclipse online in a series of webcasts live through 2:50 a.m. EDT (0650 GMT) on May 16.
Looking for a telescope for the next lunar eclipse? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.
"This is really evocative, like a telescopic view of Mars," Slooh astronomer Bob Berman said during a live broadcast from the astronomy webcast service Sunday (May 15).
On the U.S. East Coast, the sky show began at 9:32 p.m. on Sunday (May 15; 0132 GMT on May 16), as the moon entered the penumbra, the lighter part of Earth's shadow, which occurs when Earth only partially obstructs the sun.
Related: How to watch the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse online
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
#LunarEclipse pic.twitter.com/Losl8N6idaMay 16, 2022
My attempt to take a picture of the #LunarEclipse through a heavy blanket of smoke. pic.twitter.com/a823HAjNrZMay 16, 2022
Loving this #LunarEclipse 🤗✨ pic.twitter.com/QL97GSLtxmMay 16, 2022
The Blood Moon will reach its peak at 12:11 a.m. EDT (0411 GMT) on Monday (May 16). The total eclipse will end at 12:53 a.m. EDT (0453 GMT) and then the moon will leave the umbra entirely at 1:55 a.m. EDT (0555 GMT) Note the penumbra will continue for another hour.
The next total lunar eclipse, on Nov. 8, 2022, will peak above the Pacific Ocean, and totality will be visible in the U.S. West, Eastern Asia and Australia.
If you plan to observe or photograph the lunar eclipse, you can find some useful tips in our guide. And you can also share your best snaps with us.
Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing lunar eclipse photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace