A “total lunar eclipse”, in which the sun, the earth, and the moon all line up and the moon is covered by the earth’s shadow, was observed nationwide on May 26, three years since the previous instance. For Japan, it has been 24 years since this event occurred in conjunction with a “super moon”, in which the full moon is the largest it will be in the whole year. And in Hokkaido as well, a magical copper full moon hung in the night sky.

On the evening of May 26, the full moon was completely covered by the earth’s shadow for 19 minutes from 8:09 p.m. As if in intentional conjunction with the total lunar eclipse, the thin clouds cleared away at Moerenuma Park in Sapporo City’s Higashi-ku area, letting observers see the moon shining a dark red color. Some Sapporo locals had climbed Mt. Moere at the park, and clapped together as soon as the first “Celestial Show” in 24 years started.

The previous total lunar eclipse was in July 2018, and the last time it coincided with a super moon was September 1997. The next total lunar eclipse in Japan will be on November 8 of next year.