A super blue blood moon? Yes!
It is happening on the last day of this month. A blue moon typically gets its name when it occurs as the second of two full moons in one calendar month.
But something very special will happen to the moon on this date. The full moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow during the early morning of Jan. 31 to give us a total lunar eclipse. During the time of the total eclipse, the moon will appear reddish in color, which is where it gets to be called a “blood moon.” Totality, when the moon will be entirely inside the Earth’s dark umbral shadow, will last a bit more than 1 1/4 hours.
The Jan. 31 full moon is also the third in a series of three straight full moon supermoons – that is, super-close full moons. It's the first of two blue moons in 2018. So it's not just a lunar eclipse, or a blue moon, or a supermoon. It's all three – a super blue moon eclipse.
Is it the first blue moon total eclipse in 150 years in America.
The eclipse will get underway at 6:48 a.m. EST/3:48 a.m. PST Jan. 31. You’ll have to be up high with a good view of the western horizon to see the eclipse when it is total, as the moon will be setting as the eclipse reaches totality.
Those in the western United States will be able to view the full eclipse. But don't let the setting moon stop you from getting to see a good part of the eclipse. It still should be a neat sight early in the morning if skies are clear and it is not too cold.
– Eric Elwell is WHIO-TV's chief meteorologist. Contact him at eric.elwell@coxinc.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Author
