Article 3 (Apr 2022): Total lunar eclipse coming May 15 and 16, 2022

May is a great month for stargazing, especially on the 15th when most of North and South America will enjoy the spectacle of a full lunar eclipse.
              
A lunar eclipse occurs when our planet moves directly between the sun and the moon. The sun shines on the earth and the earth casts its shadow on the moon.
              
The earth's full shadow will be cast on the moon. The moon will still be visible but it will appear reddish. According to NASA, this is because the earth's atmosphere indirectly lights up the moon's surface.
              
The reddish moon of the lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon. However, depending on the amount of dust and other particulate matter in the atmosphere, the moon can also appear yellow or brown.
              
The lunar eclipse at maximum will be at 12:11 a.m. EDT on May 16 (9:11 p.m. PDT on May 15). This is the best time to see the lunar eclipse.  You can look directly at the lunar eclipse, but you can't look directly at a solar eclipse.
              
In a solar eclipse, the moon is between the sun and the earth. You can't watch a solar eclipse with the naked eye because you would be staring at the sun -- a bad idea that can cause blindness.
              
But the lunar eclipse is different, since you are staring at the moon, which does not have its own light. Its surface only reflects the light of the sun. In a lunar eclipse, the shadow of the earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon.
 
Total lunar eclipses only happen when there is a full moon and the sun, moon and earth are aligned.
              
If it is cloudy in May, you still have a chance to see a total lunar eclipse. The next total lunar eclipse will be Nov. 7 and 8, 2022. If you miss that one, though, there won't be another until March 2025.