A ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ Eclipse Is Coming in January 2019. Here’s How to Watch

In January 2019, stargazers in the U.S. and elsewhere will be treated to a lunar eclipse that some are calling the “super blood wolf moon.” A simultaneous total lunar eclipse and a “supermoon” will take place on the night of Jan. 20 into the morning of Jan. 21. During the event, the moon will appear red-colored and slightly larger than usual for about an hour. As the last total lunar eclipse until 2021, the astronomical phenomenon is a can’t-miss event. People in all of North and South America, as well as parts of Asia and Europe, will be able to witness the lunar eclipse. Here’s what to know about the upcoming super blood wolf moon eclipse. What is a super blood wolf moon eclipse? While technically just a lunar eclipse, each part of the event’s jam-packed nickname has a meaning behind it. The term “blood moon” comes from the red hue that the moon appears to have during a lunar eclipse. As the moon passes into the earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse, the earth blocks almost all sunlight from hitting the moon. The only sunlight that gets through is first diffracted by the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the red coloring. (The moon emits no light of its own; what’s commonly called “moonlight” is in fact reflected sunlight.) The term “super moon,” meanwhile, has to do with the apparent size of the moon. During the upcoming lunar eclipse, the moon will be at its closest point to...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized onetime space Source Type: news