ESA Astronaut Captures Stunning Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse Photo From International Space Station

An astronaut has captured the recent lunar eclipse observed from the International Space Station (ISS).

Samantha Cristoforetti, an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), published three magnificent new space images. From three distinct vantage points, the photographs show the recent lunar eclipse - sometimes known as a "Blood Moon" on May 15, The Sun (via The New York Post).

Blood Moon as Seen On International Space Station

Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency tweeted numerous photos of the breathtaking vista on Monday, May 16, showing various stages of the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse as framed by space station equipment and clouds from Earth lingering below.

"Were you lucky enough to be able to see the lunar eclipse last night? We were!" she tweeted.

The astronauts were able to witness three cycles of the lunar eclipse in their entirety since the International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes. It's worth mentioning that the eclipse occurred around 9:32 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

When the moon gets swept into the lighter section of Earth's shadow, known as the penumbra, it will linger there for five hours until it leaves the penumbra on the other side. The moon will reach its total eclipse phase when it is totally covered by the umbra, which is the planet's dark shadow. The eclipse was the longest in 33 years, lasting 85 minutes.

The moon does not always disappear from the sky during a complete eclipse, but instead becomes crimson red. Since it's not something that people get to witness often, skywatchers were on their feet and with their telescopes. The dispersion of light by Earth's atmosphere causes this appearance, which is also responsible for the "blood moon" moniker given to the totally obscured moon.

ISS Playing Hide and Seek

When viewed via the space station's solar panels, Cristoforetti's photographs show a darkened moon. The astronaut captured a partly obscured moon playing hide-and-seek with the solar panel.

The Super Flower Blood Moo was named after this widely anticipated space event. According to Space.com's Joe Rao, it's a historic event since it's the longest complete lunar eclipse in 33 years.

The moon spent roughly 85 minutes within the Earth's umbra during the lunar eclipse, according to Rao, compared to 96 minutes in August 1989.

The Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, and the East Pacific were among the places where this sight could be seen. The penumbra, the lightest phase of the eclipse, was visible in New Zealand, the Middle East, and eastern Europe.

If you missed the beautiful complete lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, the next one will take place on Nov. 8, peaking above the Pacific Ocean, effectively favoring observers from the western United States, Australia, and eastern Asia.

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