When Is the Next Lunar Eclipse and When Is the Next Blood Moon?
A red moon crossed the sky in the early hours of Friday morning—or late Thursday night depending on location—as part of a stunning near-total lunar eclipse.
During the eclipse, which was visible across North America, almost all of our moon plunged into Earth's shadow, darkening its bright white surface.
For those who missed it because of cloud cover—or simply because it was daytime in their part of the world—there's no need to worry. There are multiple lunar eclipses every year.
According to TimeandDate.com, which lists eclipses for the next 10 years, the next lunar eclipse will take place between May 15 and 16, 2022.
It will be a total lunar eclipse. These are also known as blood moons because they tend to make the moon turn red.
The May 2022 lunar eclipse will be visible from South America, but people in the U.S., particularly on the East Coast, should be able to see it too.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun in such a way that it blocks the sun's light. When we look at the moon during a lunar eclipse, the moon appears dark.
The Earth doesn't quite block all of the sun's light, though. Some light is still able to reach the moon, but only after passing through the atmosphere at the very edge of our planet.
This light tends to turn red as it passes through the gases that make up our atmosphere. The light then shines onto the moon, appearing to change its color. This phenomenon is also why sunrises and sunsets look red and orange.
The second lunar eclipse of 2022 will take place between November 7 and 8. It will be another total eclipse or blood moon.
It will largely be visible over the Pacific Ocean, according to an eclipse map on TimeandDate.com. People in North America can expect to see the eclipse too.
There tend to be two or three lunar eclipses and solar eclipses each year.
During a solar eclipse, daylight is temporarily blocked as the moon crosses in front of the sun, blocking its light from reaching Earth.
The "total" portion of a solar eclipse tends to last only a few minutes, but in this time parts of the Earth are plunged into darkness.
The next solar eclipse takes place in just over two weeks, on December 4, according to TimeandDate.com. Skywatchers in the U.S. will have to wait longer to observe one, however. The next solar eclipse that will be visible in North America will be on October 14, 2023.
