Beachgoers in Australia watch the full moon rise on May 26, 2021 in this view by photographer Cameron Spencer for Getty Images. Skywatchers in Australia and eastern Asia, across the Pacific, and into the western parts of the Americas were treated to a total lunar eclipse dubbed by some the Super Flower Blood Moon.
Super Flower Blood Moon of 2021 thrills stargazers around the world
The full moon was particularly stunning around the globe, as Earth's natural satellite was nearly as close to our planet as it ever gets during its orbit. That phenomenon, called perigee, made the moon appear just a smidge larger than usual.
Then, lucky viewers with the right geography caught the moon sliding partially into Earth's shadow, as if something had taken a bite out of the moon.
Finally, the moon slid into the deepest shadow cast by the Earth and picked up a reddish sheen, the glow of every sunrise and sunset occurring at the time.
The only other lunar eclipse of the year, which occurs on Nov. 19, is a partial eclipse and will miss the red stage that earns blood moons their nickname.
