“The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what’s happening up there” said by– K.D. Lang
How true the above lines are, especially for the star gazers who spend hours endlessly looking at the sky, waiting for the next marvel it would throw their way. But, the night of January 20 will be different. For that night would not be a mere movie, but a blockbuster which would sweep you off your feet, though only for those living in North and South America.
Looking up at the night of January 20 will not give you a glimpse of the regular lustrous moon, but rather an ethereal and uncanny one exhibiting hues of red. Or should we say in simpler terms, the night would treat people to a splendid sight – of the Super Blood Wolf Moon. But, why such a spectral name? It is super because on that night the moon will be the nearest to the earth in its orbit and blood is because of its reddish color. Because the full moon in January is at times also called the wolf moon, thus it would be the Super Blood Wolf Moon. How does a super moon happen? When the sun, earth and the moon get aligned in a line, the shadow of the earth bathes the moon in a reddish shadow. But why red? It is because when sunlight passes through earth’s atmosphere, it gets refracted and scattered into red light which illuminates the moon. Thus, the lunar eclipse comes to be called a blood moon because of this reddish color.
The eclipse will occur overnight on January 20 and 21. On January 20, at 19:34 PST or 22:34 EST, a partial eclipse would begin. About an hour later, the full eclipse would start and would last for three more hours i.e., up to 23:48 PST or 02:48 EST on 21st January, when the Penumbral eclipse ends.
This is a very significant lunar eclipse as it is not only the year’s first lunar eclipse, but also the last total lunar eclipse until the year 2021.
If you live in the Western Hemisphere, then you can watch either a part or the whole of it. People in North America, South America, and the Central America can get to watch all phases of the Super Blood Wolf Moon. Meanwhile, people in most of Africa and western Europe can watch the spectacle on the early morning of January 21. People in Australia and Asia will not be able to watch this mega show as the Super Blood Wolf Moon will not be visible in these continents.
So, keep your eyes hooked to the sky and witness the biggest blockbuster of the year.
Other Natural Phenomenon Available On Earth:
– The Northern Lights
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