A ‘Super flower blood moon’ will be visible in Wichita on Sunday. What you need to know
Kansas is known for its wild, beautiful skies and sunsets, but on Sunday night Wichitans will be able to gaze at a “super flower blood moon.”
In the Wichita area, the celestial event begins around 9:27 p.m., according to Timeanddate.com’s eclipse map.
What is a super flower blood moon?
The phenomenon, dubbed super flower blood moon, is made up of three celestial events happening at the same time. The first is a “supermoon,” which is a nickname for what astronomers call a “perigean full moon — a moon that is full and its closest point in orbit around earth.” This means the moon looks larger because it’s closer to earth, according to a NASA moon website.
Flower moon is a term used to describe a full moon that happens in the month of May, and is used to signify the flowers that bloom during this month. Native American culture also refers to it as a budding moon, egg laying moon and planting moon, according to Timeanddate.
A blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse and derives its name from its red glow.
A lunar eclipse is when the earth lines up between the moon and the sun. “When this happens, the only light that reaches to moon’s surface is from the edges of the earth’s atmosphere. The air molecules from the earth’s atmosphere scatter out most of the blue light. The remaining light reflects onto the moon’s surface with a red glow, making the moon appear red in the night sky,” NASA explained.
All three events are supposed to happen simultaneously Sunday night.
The National Weather Service in Wichita forecast calls for Sunday night to be mostly clear with a low around 59.
If you are unable to watch it outside, NASA is hosting a livestream of the event at moon.nasa.gov. You can also tune in on Facebook, YouTube and NASA Television.