Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse, May 15, 2022, Tucson, AZ

This is how the Super Flower Blood Moon eclipse looked on Sunday night, May 15, 2022 in Tucson, AZ. The total eclipse, when the full moon was inside the Earth's umbra (darker shadow) lasted 85 minutes, the longest period of totality since 1989.

According to NASA, a “super moon” occurs when the moon is nearest its point of perigee, its closest point to the Earth in its elliptical orbit. The average distance of a "super moon" is about 226,000 miles, nearly 13,000 miles closer than on average.

The moon appeared red (Blood Moon) during totality because the Earth blocked most of the sun’s rays from reflecting off of the moon. Those that did, passed through the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering the shorter wavelength blue light, thus preventing them from reaching the moon’s surface.

©Rich Beckman