Blue Blood Supermoon Eclipse 2018 News: Rare Moon Sighting Happening on Jan. 31
A rare moon sighting that many are now calling the "blue blood supermoon" is happening this January.
Planetary geologist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr. Noah Petro, said that there will be a "collision of multiple lunar events" happening this Jan. 31, TIME reports.
The upcoming lunar phenomenon that many are already calling the blue blood supermoon will consist of three events — a total lunar eclipse, a blue moon, and a supermoon.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
On the night of Jan. 31, a total lunar eclipse will happen. This is when the Earth comes in between the sun and the moon, which will block the sunlight from travelling towards the other end. At the same time, a blue moon — which is described as the second full moon in a calendar month — will also take place. It will also become a supermoon because it will be a full moon that's closer to Earth, making it appear bigger than it usually is.
According to Ernest Wright — a programmer at the Scientific Visualization Studio at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center — this rare lunar phenomenon last occurred 35 years ago. However, other reports say that it last happened over a century ago.
Space reports that the blue blood supermoon last happened over 150 years ago. This was confirmed by Wright, as well as an eclipse expert and retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak.
The blue blood supermoon, contrary to the color in its name, will appear with a red or copper hue. The red-orange color is actually the reason why this moon is described with "blood."
But the exact shade of the blue blood supermoon will vary depending on certain atmospheric conditions, such as dust in the Earth's atmosphere or the recent occurrence of a volcanic eruption.
The blue blood supermoon eclipse is expected to occur on Jan. 31.
