NIWA reveals best places to view NZ's first 'super blood moon' in 39 years tomorrow

May 25, 2021

Clear skies forecast for tomorrow night will give the majority of Kiwis the best chance to see the super blood moon for the first time in 39 years.

For 14 minutes starting at 11.11pm tomorrow, the combination of a full moon, the moon being at its closest point to earth and a total lunar eclipse will make the moon appear rusty red in colour and larger than usual.

A supermoon and total lunar eclipse will occur at the same time, causing the moon to appear larger than usual and red.

The red colour is due to the Earth blocking sunlight, with only heavily filtered light reaching the moon.

The best places in Aotearoa to view the celestial phenomenon are Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, Manawatu-Whanganui, Taranaki, Waikato and Auckland, according to NIWA’s forecast models this morning. 

If you capture video or images of tonight’s super blood moon, please send them to us at news@tvnz.co.nz or message us on Facebook .

Meteorologist Ben Noll said there is scattered cloud forecast for Fiordland, Northland and Bay of Plenty but stargazers there should still be able to see the moon because of breaks in the cloud.

The chances are lower for people in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne because of thicker cloud cover.

A super blood moon last occurred in New Zealand in December 1982.

The moon should be "spectacular", University of Auckland senior physics lecturer Nicholas James Rattenbury said last week.


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