Keep your eyes peeled because the Ontario sky is going to be particularly enchanting this May. On the evening of May 15 and until the early morning hours of May 16, the Moon will be completely eclipsed resulting in a Blood Flower Moon. The eclipse should be visible from coast to coast, however local weather conditions and time zones will determine a person’s viewing conditions. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit. It is known as the “blood moon” because the moon turns red during an eclipse. “It’s a spectacular event,” said Backyard astronomer Gary Boyle. “The full moon gets darker and takes on a beautiful bronze-orange color.” According to Boyle, the moon takes on this color because the sun’s rays are refracted by the earth’s atmosphere on the moon. The “flower” part of the moon’s name is due to the fact that May is the time of year when many flowers bloom. “Every month has a name like Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon,” Boyle said. “Every moon has a month in the Farmer’s Diary.” Boyle recommends going out into the countryside shortly after midnight to watch the event. “Getting out of the city lights gives you this beautiful setting,” he said. “We have a perfect show here.” The event will be visible at the following hours in the Eastern Time Zones from May 15: • Partial umbilical eclipse begins at 22:27 • Total lunar eclipse at 11:29 p.m. • The biggest eclipse at 12:11 a.m. • The total lunar eclipse ends at 12:53 a.m. • The partial umbilical eclipse ends at 1:55 a.m. The next lunar eclipse will take place on November 8.
