First it was the solar eclipse in August and tomorrow, area residents will be treated to another even rarer phenomenon, a Super Blue Blood Moon.
What is a Super Blue Blood Moon? According to the NASA website, it is when the following three things happen all at once.
Super Moon: For the event to be considered a “super moon,” the moon is closer to the Earth in its orbit, known as a perigee, and appears about 14 percent wider in diameter which makes it look about 30 percent brighter than usual.
Blue Moon: For it to be a “blue moon,” it has to be the second full moon of the month. The first full moon in January was Jan. 1 with the second being tomorrow, Jan. 31.
Blood Moon: Lastly, the Super Blue Blood Moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow, it will take on a reddish tint, known as a “blood moon.”
But that all together and you have a Super Blue Blood Moon.
The last time all of these events occurred simultaneously in the Western Hemisphere was 1866. A total solar eclipse is more common, with the next one taking place in North America on April 8, 2024.
Credits: NASA
How to see it?
Well if you live on the West Coast, Alaska or Hawaii, you would have a great view, but for us in the Eastern time zone, it could be a bit more challenging. The eclipse begins at 5:51 a.m. Eastern standard time, as the moon is about to set in the western sky and the sky is getting lighter in the east, according to Gordon Johnston, program executive and lunar blogger at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
While the Moon will enter the outer part of the Earth’s shadow at 5:51 a.m., it won’t be that noticeable. The darker part of the Earth’s shadow will begin to blanket part of the moon with reddish tint at around 6:48 a.m. The best time for those of us who live in the East, according to Johnson, would be to head outside about 6:45 a.m. and get to a high place with a clear line of sight to the horizon in the west-northwest, opposite where the Sun will rise.
According to Dave DeBruyn, curator emeritus for the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, as the moon moves into the shadow, look for significant darkening along the upper left side of the lunar disk beginning around 6:45 a.m. The sky will still be dark with the moon descending in the northwestern sky with the earth’s rotation.
“Keep watching as the shadow slowly advances,” DeBruyn said. “Simultaneously, the moon will be sinking lower in the sky. By 7:30 a.m., with the visible portion of the lunar disk diminishing to a sliver, the sky in its direction will be brightening with the coming of dawn.
DeBruyn said residents should see how long they can follow the progression of the eclipse as the moon approaches the horizon and the sky brightens. He said to look for a dull but deep red color enhanced by haze in the earth’s atmosphere. Binoculars or a small telescope should be of significant help.
Along with having a Super Blue Blood Moon, 2018 also will have another rare moon cycle, Double Blue Moons. This is when a calendar year has two full moons in two different months. Along with January, March will have two full moons, March 1 and 31. Double Blue Moons only happen about three to five times in a century. The next year that has two months with two Full Moons will be 2037. The last time it occurred was in 1999.
DeBruyn said the next total lunar eclipse is almost a year away, but it will be much better for Michigan viewers. Totality will come overnight Jan. 20-21, 2019, with the moon high overhead, he said.
NASA Television will begin coverage of the Super Blue Blood Moon at 5:30 a.m. You can see that coverage on WKTV Channel 26. For more about it, visit nasa.gov. To follow Johnston’s moon blog, go to moon.nasa.gov.
Credits: NASA
