Skywatchers around the world were treated to the most spectacular full moon of the year in the early morning hours on Wednesday. May 26 marked not just a supermoon, but also a lunar eclipse, or so-called “blood moon.”
According to NASA , a blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, when the Earth is positioned directly between the moon and the sun. Earth’s atmosphere filters the sunlight, scattering blue light but allowing red light to pass through.
Wednesday also marked the year’s best supermoon . A supermoon occurs when the moon appears larger than usual in the night sky because it is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee.
May’s full moon is additionally known as the ” Flower Moon ,” named for the abundance of flowers associated with spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Astrophotographers around the globe captured breathtaking images of the event, which was clearly visible in Asia and Australia, as well as much of the U.S. and South America.
New Zealand
The total lunar eclipse is seen on May 26, 2021, in Auckland, New Zealand. Phil Walter/Getty Images
Australia
A surfer is seen as the “Super Flower Blood Moon” rises over the Pacific Ocean at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on May 26, 2021. Steven Saphore/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Brazil
A lunar eclipse is observed during dawn in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Eraldo Peres / AP
Britain
The full moon is seen behind Stonehenge stone circle near Amesbury, Britain, May 26, 2021. PETER CZIBORRA / REUTERS
Hong Kong
The moon is pictured above Hong Kong on May 26, 2021, during a total lunar eclipse. ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images
California
The full moon sets over Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP
Mexico
The lunar eclipse is seen on May 26, 2021, in Mexico City, Mexico. Manuel Velasquez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Taiwan
A full moon is seen during a partial eclipse in Taipei on May 26, 2021. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images
Indonesia
The moon is pictured above Jakarta on May 26, 2021, during a total lunar eclipse. BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images
China
A total lunar eclipse occurs in the night sky of Haikou, the capital of southwest China’s Hainan Province, on May 26, 2021. Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Hawaii
The full moon rises over the Makapuu lighthouse in east Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S., on May 25, 2021. MARCO GARCIA / REUTERS
Turkey
The full moon is seen over the Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey, on May 26, 2021. CAGLA GURDOGAN / REUTERS
