Science

What Is a Super Blue Blood Moon?

Peter Schmiedchen
July 1, 2018
Lights Off
Take one total lunar eclipse, stir in a blue moon and what do you get? A Super Blue Blood Moon, an event not seen since 1866.

The moon, for all its usual outward gray appearances from Earth, can be a pretty colorful celestial character sometimes – at least when it comes to its cyclical names, that is. For the first time in over 150 years North America will have front row seats to what the experts at NASA have christened a Super Blue Blood Moon. It’s not a marketing ploy or a clickbait name, either. It’s an extremely rare event that combines various stages in the moon and Earth’s positional relationship in the sky, and Super Blue Blood Moon encompasses every step involved.

A basic summary of the moon’s special night is this: Earth will be passing between the sun and the moon, which in turn will cast a shadow over the moon’s surface. Because of the sun’s involvement in the equation, instead of a blackout the moon will have a red tinge to it when viewed from Earth. Combine that with a second full moon in a one-month time span (known as a blue moon) and Earth being closer to the moon than usual, making it appear about 14% brighter than normal. That takes care of the super side of things and with it you have the makings for a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity.

This time around the show will be for North America and Australia only – sorry, rest of the world. You will, however, at least get to witness a Super Moon. And don’t be alarmed if you hear mumblings across the online world of the Super Blue Blood Moon bringing on the end of days. Yes, there are several mentions in the Holy Bible of these type of events being a precursor to all of humanity coming to a destructive end. While we may be cursing us all by saying this, chances are we’ll still be around to see some great photos on Instagram of the moon taking its turn in the spotlight.

Story by Jay Moon

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