Super Blue Blood Moon 🌒 – See It Wednesday, January 31st

A “Super Blue Blood Moon” is what NASA is calling a “trifecta” – it will be a “supermoon,” when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit (perigee), and fourteen percent brighter than normal; It will also be the second full moon of the month, which is called a “blue moon”; And, the moon will be having a total eclipse due to passing through the Earth’s shadow, giving it a discernably red tint, called a “blood moon.”

The Super Blue Blood Moon will be visible in early morning times on Wednesday, January 31st, 2018.

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What time is the Super Moon?

Answer: the Super Moon, or “Super Blue Blood Moon”, is going to be from 4:50a.m. to 7:00a.m. Central Time Zone. Check for more accurate times for your specific area.

For those living in North America, Alaska, and Hawaii, the eclipse and Super Blue Blood Moon will be visible before sunrise on January 31^ST.

“For the United States (mainland), the viewing will be best in the West,” reports Gordon Johnston who is the program executive and lunar blogger at NASA H.Q. in Washington. “Set your alarm early and go out and take a look.”

For those living in the Central time zone, views of the Super Blue Blood Moon will be better, since the eclipse and its optical effects will start when the Moon is higher up in the western sky. At 4:51 a.m. CST the penumbra — or lighter edge of the Earth’s shadow – will begin to overlap the Moon. By about 6:15 a.m. CST the Earth’s red shadow will become obviously noticeable on the Moon’s surface facing the Earth. The eclipse may be harder to see in the increasing light of the pre-dawn sky, and then the Moon will set after 7:00 a.m. as the Sun begins to rise. “So if one lives in Kansas City or Chicago, the best viewing time will be from about 6:15 to 6:30 a.m,” said Johnston. “Again, you’ll have more success if you can go to a higher place with a clearer view towards the West with less urban light pollution.”

The next lunar eclipse will be on January 21, 2019, and will be visible throughout the United States and will also be a supermoon, although it won’t similtaneously be a blue moon as this week’s lunar event is.