Where to view the May 26 “Super Flower Blood Moon” Lunar Eclipse

Posted on May 21 2021

By Ali Harford

Historically, lunar eclipses have signified times of great change or evolution. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly behind the Earth, which bathes the moon in blood red light—which, to be fair to ancient astronomers, would be truly terrifying if you didn’t know what was going on. The first lunar eclipse of 2021 will occur on May 26, the first of four eclipses total this year.

In modern times, astrologers—people who study the influence that cosmic objects have on human lives—believe in the significance of the lunar eclipse. Ask your friend who’s into astrology about it. They’ll tell you that the lunar eclipse will be “an extremely powerful time for cleansing our emotional waters and setting intention for renewal and rejuvenation,” according to Explore Deeply, a spiritual wellness website. To be honest, this sounds great. I think we could all use a bit of a reset, and the full moon turning the color of blood is pretty metal.

Your astrology friend (okay, it’s me, I’m the astrology friend) will also point out the accounts of historically significant events that happened during or around eclipses: a total solar eclipse “brought about unexpected ceasefire between two warring nations” in Ancient Greece; a lunar eclipse spurred an army of Syracusans from Sicily to attack the Athenians during the Peloponnesian war, turning the tide of victory; a lunar eclipse helped Christopher Columbus win favor with indigenous people of Jamaica. The magic of the eclipse is real, people.

Whether or not you believe in the spiritual significance, the moon will definitely pass through the Earth’s shadow in a few days. Lunar eclipses are “among the easiest sky watching events to observe,” according to Space.com—you don’t need special equipment like a telescope or light-blocking glasses, just a vantage point to see the moon from.

Explore the map below, via NASA, to see where you can view the total lunar eclipse!

May 26 Lunar Eclipse map

And here is a timetable of when you can see the eclipse, and in which phase, via Sky and Telescope:

May 26	EDT	CDT	MDT	PDT	AKDT	HAST
Penumbral eclipse begins	4:47 a.m.	3:47 a.m.	2:47 a.m.	1:47 a.m.	12:47 a.m.	10:47 p.m. (May 25)
Partial eclipse begins	5:45 a.m.	4:45 a.m.	3:45 a.m.	2:45 a.m.	1:45 a.m.	11:45 p.m. (May 25)
Totality begins	_____	_____	5:11 a.m	4:11 a.m.	3:11 a.m.	1:11 a.m.
Maximum eclipse	_____	_____	5:19 a.m.	4:19 a.m.	3:19 a.m.	1:19 a.m.
Totality ends	_____	_____	5:27 a.m.	4:27 a.m.	3:27 a.m.	1:27 a.m.
Partial eclipse ends	_____	_____	_____	5:53 a.m.	4:53 a.m.	2:53 a.m.
Penumbral eclipse ends	_____	_____	_____	_____	_____	3:50 a.m