SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON 2018: SUPERMOON AND LUNAR ECLIPSE TO LIGHT UP THE SKY (Source Newsweek)
January 31 will serve up a phenomenal lunar spectacle. For the first time since 1866, a blue supermoon will coincide with a lunar eclipse. Also the finale of a rare trilogy of supermoons, this will be the last oversized moon until January next year. The moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, not a circle. This means it sometimes moves closer to us than usual. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s closest approach to Earth coincides with a full moon. Astronomers call this a perigee full moon. The moon will reach its shortest distance from us at 4:55 a.m. ET January 30, and a full moon will occur the following day. While not a perfect supermoon, it should still shine larger and brighter than usual.
However, the difference might be small to the naked eye. “The next full ‘supermoon’ will appear only 7% bigger and a bit brighter than an average full Moon,” said Italian astrophysicist, Gianluca Masi in a statement.
The best time to see a supermoon is shortly after sunset, when something called the “moon illusion” will make it appear even bigger. The closer the moon is to the horizon, the larger it looks. The moon won’t really shine blue in the sky—it will glow red. The term “blue moon” refers to the second full moon in a calendar month. Not as rare as you would think, blue moons happen once every two to three years. In fact, 2018 will see another in March, with no full moon in February. A spectacular total lunar eclipse will accompany this blue moon, shining red across parts of Russia, Canada, Asia and Australia. An eclipse occurs when the Earth lines up perfectly with the sun and the moon, casting a shadow that blocks the sun. As light filters through the Earth’s atmosphere it makes the moon glow red. “We will have a very spectacular total lunar eclipse as our satellite will completely sink into the shadow of the Earth,” said Masi.
Unfortunately, only some of the western U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, will see the full eclipse.