Super Blue Blood Moon 2018 News: Three Celestial Events to Simultaneously Happen on Jan. 31

By Vianne Ilagan, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, January 03, 2018

The moon is going to be a spectacular sight on Jan. 31. Following the Supermoon that rose on Jan. 1 called the Wolf Moon, another celestial event will happen before the end of this month as the moon does something it has never done in more than 150 years.

By definition, a Supermoon is a full moon that appears when the moon reaches its closest orbital point to Earth. On Jan. 1, a Supermoon appeared in some parts of the world, allowing people to see a fuller, bigger and brighter moon. That was not the last though, as another one is coming on Jan. 31. In fact, the night of Jan. 31 will see three separate celestial events happen simultaneously, resulting in a Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse. The last time this event occurred was 150 years ago.

On Jan. 31, a Blue Moon will also occur as the moon becomes full for the second time in a month. This is a rare event and happens only once in every two and a half years. Aside from that, a total lunar eclipse will also occur that night. Unlike the solar eclipse that occurred in 2017, however, this eclipse will not be visible in the continental United States but in central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. Alaska and Hawaii will also catch a glimpse of this eclipse. As the moon rises, it will head farther west into western Asia, the Indian continent, Middle East and Eastern Europe.

The way the light filters through the atmosphere during an eclipse causes the blue light to bounce away from the moon, reflecting red light. The reddish color of the eclipsed moon earned it the name Blood Moon. As skywatchers witness Supermoon, Blue Moon and a Total Lunar Eclipse all at the same time, the phenomenon called "Super Blue Blood Moon" occurs.