NASA Shares New ‘Earthrise’ Image from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

And no, we aren’t referring to Santa Claus.

The last time this happened was in 1977 – coincidentally this was the year Star Wars: A New Hope was released.

The next full moon to occur on Christmas will not be until 2034 and will peak at 3:54 a.m., NASA told ABC.

Across the Wabash Valley, plan on skies becoming mostly cloudy Christmas night with some showers moving in overnight which may block your view. The winter solstice comes just a few days before, on December 21. During these movements sometimes Earth (and other planets) pass through the camera’s field of view and dramatic images such as the one shown here are acquired.

As per NASA’s website, “The moon on such an occasion is worth remembering as the moon is more than just a celestial neighbor”.

The Blood Supermoon is when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow turning a handsome bright red. The bottom half of the image displays the bleak yet enchanting lunar surface, whilst the upper portion captures Earth’s fragile disk swathed in white cloud.

The photograph was put together with a series of shots taken on October 12, with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter situated approximately 83 miles above Earth.