Rare Lunar trifecta lights up skies

A celestial spectacle will take place before dawn Wednesday, May 26 when a full moon, a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse occur on the same day — a rare lunar trifecta.

According to NASA, the event will see the biggest and brightest full moon of the year turn rusty red as it slips completely into the earth’s shadow. 

Total lunar eclipse is expected to occur Wednesday at 4:46 a.m. ET. and from 7:11 to 7:26 a.m. ET. when the moon slips completely into the earth’s shadow. 

The lunar eclipse, which is when the earth moves between the sun and the moon, is expected to be visible to stargazers across Western United States, Western Canada, Mexico, much of Central America, parts of South America and Asia along the Pacific Rim. 

The eclipse coincides with a supermoon, which is a full moon at its closest point to earth in its elliptical orbit, a mere 357,462km away from earth.

For the supermoon, also called flower moon, which is 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent larger than a normal moon, the hours of sighting also varies.

Early hours of the morning from 2.51a.m. or after sunset is advocated. 

According to Greenwich Royal Observatory astronomer, Patricia Skelton, it is expected to “rise in the East about half an hour after sunset and will be visisble throughout the night.”  

Unlike Western US, western parts of South America, Australia or South-East Asia that will be witnessing the phenomenom, together with the United Kingdom and related areas, the latter would however not be able to “witness the supermoon turn a shade of crimson red,” as a lunar eclipse takes place same day.

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