Super Blue Moon Eclipse: When and Where To Watch It
People who love watching the sky will be treated to three astronomic events later this month, which many now refer to as the Super Blue Moon Eclipse.
As the name suggests, amateur astronomers in several parts of North America and around the world will be witnessing the supermoon, blue moon, and total lunar eclipse all at the same time.
What are Blue Moon, Supermoon, and Lunar Eclipse?
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The blue moon refers to the second full moon happening within a calendar month. The phenomenon is named as such due to its bluish hue. A supermoon occurs when the moon orbits much closer to the Earth, which makes it appear bigger than usual by up to 14 percent. Meanwhile, a lunar eclipse happens when the moon goes through the Earth's shadow, called the umbra, so the sunlight reflects onto it which explains its reddish appearance.
Where and When to Watch the Super Blue Moon Eclipse?
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the best views can be witnessed in Alaska, the Hawaiian islands, and the western part of North America. People living or currently staying in these areas and want to witness this "lunar trifecta" must be up even before sunrise (local time) on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
In other parts of the world, including Asia, the Middle East, eastern Russia, Australia, and New Zealand, the triple lunar treat can be watched after sunset on the same date.
If the weather permits, according to NASA, sky watchers in the West Coast of the United States will be able to watch the entire eclipse. The moon is expected to enter the range of the Earth's umbra at 3:48 a.m. PST while totality starts at around 4:51 a.m. PST until 6:07 a.m. PST.
Meanwhile, for people in the East Coast, NASA Headquarters' program executive and lunar blogger Gordon Johnston recommended: "Your best opportunity if you live in the East is to head outside about 6:45 a.m. and get to a high place to watch the start of the eclipse—make sure you have a clear line of sight to the horizon in the west-northwest, opposite from where the Sun will rise."
