A total lunar eclipse, or blood moon, occurs when Earth passes between the sun and the moon and casts its shadow completely across the moon’s surface. When fully eclipsed, the moon appears to take on a reddish hue, hence the phenomenon’s nickname. Lunar eclipses only occur during full moons, but this particular eclipse coincides with a supermoon, meaning the moon will also be at the closest point in its orbit to Earth and appear slightly larger in the night sky.
May’s blood moon will be the first of two total lunar eclipses to occur in 2022, with the second falling in November. The event will kick off with a penumbral eclipse on May 15 at 9:32 PM EST before transitioning to a partial lunar eclipse at 10:27 PM. Totality, when the moon is fully engulfed by Earth’s shadow, will begin at 11:29 PM and last roughly 1.5 hours, with the maximum eclipse taking place at 12:11 AM on May 16. This is when the moon will appear the reddest.
Skywatchers all over the world will be able to see at least part of the eclipse. It’ll be visible across North and South America, South and West Europe, South and West Asia, Africa, and Antarctica, as well as from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Anyone in the eastern half of the US will be able to see the entire eclipse from start to finish if the sky is clear. Optimal viewing decreases the closer you get to the west coast, but some or all of the totality will be visible throughout the entire Lower 48.
If you want to make an event out of this month’s blood moon total lunar eclipse, consider planning a trip to New York, Tennessee, or Arizona. The following hotels have plans to harness the energy of the blood moon and give guests the ultimate viewing experience.
Photo: Inns of Aurora
This boutique hotel in New York’s Finger Lakes region is actually a collection of five historic inns on the shores of Cayuga Lake. Guests have their pick of eclipse-centric activities here. You can take a Lantern-Lit Hike across the property that culminates in a stargazing session around a bonfire. You could also spend the evening meditating to the moon at the resort’s spa — or even buy the place out starting at $7,500 to gaze up at the sky from an outdoor hydrotherapy pool — before catching the eclipse by the resort’s lakeside firepit.
Photo: Courtesy of The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nashville
Book The Joseph’s Moon Bath Experience on the evening of the eclipse, and downtown Nashville will fade away as effortlessly as the moonlight. An in-room treatment, the Moon Bath is available to any guest staying in a suite with a deep soaking tub, which will be filled with a bath tea corresponding to one of the moon’s cycles: new, waxing, waning, or full. Along with the bath tea, guests will be given bathing salts, a botanical face mist, and a Moon Bath Intention Guide.
Photo: Aqua-Aston Hospitality
ADERO Scottsdale is located in a certified Dark Sky Community in the Sonoran Desert, meaning it has less light pollution than the average hotel and is therefore ideal for eclipse-gazing. Guests can also have high-definition telescopes delivered to their rooms, download the Star Walk 2 app to help make sense of all things celestial, or arrange a stargazing session with a group of local Dark Sky experts. Of course, there’s also the open-air SkyTop cocktail bar if you’d rather relax with a cocktail while you wait for nightfall.
Photo: Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa
For one night only, guests of the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa can participate in a guided full moon meditation under the reddening orb of the total lunar eclipse. The experience kicks off in the resort’s Desert Garden, includes a Crystal Bowl Sound experience, and winds down with live music and cocktails by the resort’s firepits. 