(CNN) – The moon shone red Sunday evening and into the early hours of Monday, following a total lunar eclipse that saw the sun, Earth and moon form a straight line in the night sky.
During a full lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow – the umbra. When the moon is in shadow, it takes on a reddish hue because blue and green light is more easily scattered by dust particles in the atmosphere and the orange and red colors remain more visible, according to NASA. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called blood moons because of this phenomenon.
People in South America and eastern North America should have the best view of the lunar eclipse, said Noah Petro, head of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory, before the eclipse. The total lunar eclipse was visible over much of Africa, Europe and South America and most of North America.
Astronomers around the world witnessed and captured the lunar event in images.
While the eclipse only peaks for a short time, Petro said the moon would be bathed in copper tones throughout the night, making it a particularly interesting celestial phenomenon to observe.
About two lunar eclipses occur each year, and the next will be a total lunar eclipse in November, Petro said. Then there won’t be another total lunar eclipse until March 2025, he added.
There will be seven more full moons in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
- June 14: strawberry moon
- August 11: sturgeon moon
- September 10: harvest moon
- October 9: the hunter’s moon
These are the popularized names associated with monthly full moons, originating from Native American tribes. The names vary from tribe to tribe because a full moon had a different meaning in different tribes from month to month or season to season.
Lunar and solar eclipses
In addition to another total lunar eclipse in 2022, there will also be a partial solar eclipse, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but blocks only part of its light. Be sure to wear appropriate eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely, as sunlight can damage your eyes.
A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India, and western China. It will not be visible from North America.
After this weekend, the next total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and South and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. and 8:58 a.m. ET – but the moon will set for those in the eastern regions of North America.
meteor showers
Check out the nine remaining showers that will peak in 2022:
- Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29-30
- Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31
- Southern Taurids: November 4-5
- Northern Taurids: November 11-12
- Geminids: December 13-14
If you live in an urban area, you might want to drive to a place that isn’t littered with city lights to get the best view.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look up. And give your eyes about 20-30 minutes – without looking at your phone or other electronics – to adjust to the darkness so the meteors are easier to spot.
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