Total eclipse of the Moon, December 20/21, 2010, taken from home with 130mm AP apo refractor at f/6 and Canon 7D at ISO 400 for 4 seconds, single exposure, shortly after totality began. (Photo by Alan Dyer, AmazingSky.com)

By Justin Goulet

“Super Flower Blood Moon” to be visible to southern Albertans early Wednesday morning

May 25, 2021 | 10:07 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It might be worth setting your alarm and getting up a bit earlier tomorrow morning.

On Wednesday, May 26, southern Albertans can catch a glimpse of what’s known as a Super Flower Blood Moon. The large moon that’s closest to Earth on the elliptical path will appear a little brighter and bigger than usual with a reddish glow.

“It’s actually a total lunar eclipse which is coming over southern Alberta,” said Neel Roberts with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in Calgary.

In Alberta, it will start shadowing at 2:47 a.m. MST, peak at 5:18 a.m. and finish at 5:42 a.m. as the sun begins to rise.

Roberts explained that, “basically, when the Earth shadows the sun, the refraction causes the rays to go red, so it looks like a blood red [and] that’s how we call it a Blood Moon.”

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“The Flower Moon – that actually comes from the name of the month, because every month has a name for a moon and May happens to be flower, and I think that goes with that song April showers bring May flowers.”

The next Super Flower Blood Moon won’t be until May 16, 2022, with Roberts noting the timing of the event is “random”.

He said, “it can be any time, any place. I think on average, it’s every one to two years.”

“It’ll be a short view, but it’ll be a good view.”

Roberts suggests using a telescope or binoculars to best see the moon. A guide to properly taking a photograph of the event is available from Sky News here.

Southern Albertans can also see the Super Flower Blood Moon via online video here.