Get ready for a celestial spectacle! On the weekend of October 28-29, 2023, the Moon is about to put on a show with a partial lunar eclipse.&nbsp;On the midnight of October 28, the Moon will begin its journey into the penumbral shadow.&nbsp;

During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon will pass through the Earth's penumbral shadow, causing a faint shading or dimming of the lunar surface. This will occur when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, but the Moon will not enter the Earth's&nbsp;dark central shadow, known as the umbra.

In the early hours of October 29,&nbsp;the umbral phase will take over.&nbsp;The umbral phase of the Moon is the part of a lunar eclipse when the Moon enters the darkest part of Earth's shadow, known as the umbra.

During this phase, the Moon is directly aligned with the Earth and the Sun, causing it to pass through the Earth's central shadow or umbra. This results in a noticeable darkening and reddening of the Moon as it is bathed in the Earth's refracted sunlight, giving it the appearance of a "blood moon."

And guess what? You won't need a telescope to catch this cosmic event. It is going to be visible from every nook and cranny of India around midnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But India isn't the only spot where the Moon will steal the spotlight.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/will-devil-comet-hurtling-towards-earth-bring-devastation-heres-what-scientists-suggest-649879">Will 'Devil Comet' hurtling towards Earth bring devastation? Here's what scientists suggest</a>

The Eclipse will be putting on a show across a list of locations including the Western Pacific Ocean, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, eastern South America, north–eastern North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

<h2>What are the timings?</h2>

The umbral phase will kick off at 01:05 am IST on October 29 and will wrap up at 02:24 am IST. That's a cool 1 hour and 19 minutes of lunar eclipse action, with a tiny magnitude of 0.126.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/groundwater-in-us-turning-dangerously-salty-scientists-say-649868">Groundwater in US turning dangerously salty, scientists say</a>

On September 7, 2025, there will be a total lunar eclipse.&nbsp;The last lunar eclipse India saw was on November 8, 2022, and it was a total eclipse.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/earths-core-has-been-leaking-for-billions-of-years-649888">Earth's core has been leaking for billions of years</a>

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So, all lunar enthusiasts must be ready for this partial eclipse of the Moon as it will be a must-see event for skygazers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Get ready for a celestial spectacle! On the weekend of October 28-29, 2023, the Moon is about to put on a show with a partial lunar eclipse. On the midnight of October 28, the Moon will begin its journey into the penumbral shadow.

Get ready for a celestial spectacle! On the weekend of October 28-29, 2023, the Moon is about to put on a show with a partial lunar eclipse. On the midnight of October 28, the Moon will begin its journey into the penumbral shadow. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon will pass through the Earth's penumbral shadow, causing a faint shading or dimming of the lunar surface. This will occur when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, but the Moon will not enter the Earth's dark central shadow, known as the umbra. In the early hours of October 29, the umbral phase will take over. The umbral phase of the Moon is the part of a lunar eclipse when the Moon enters the darkest part of Earth's shadow, known as the umbra. During this phase, the Moon is directly aligned with the Earth and the Sun, causing it to pass through the Earth's central shadow or umbra. This results in a noticeable darkening and reddening of the Moon as it is bathed in the Earth's refracted sunlight, giving it the appearance of a "blood moon." And guess what? You won't need a telescope to catch this cosmic event. It is going to be visible from every nook and cranny of India around midnight. But India isn't the only spot where the Moon will steal the spotlight. Also Read | Will 'Devil Comet' hurtling towards Earth bring devastation? Here's what scientists suggest The Eclipse will be putting on a show across a list of locations including the Western Pacific Ocean, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, eastern South America, north–eastern North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean. What are the timings? The umbral phase will kick off at 01:05 am IST on October 29 and will wrap up at 02:24 am IST. That's a cool 1 hour and 19 minutes of lunar eclipse action, with a tiny magnitude of 0.126. Also Read | Groundwater in US turning dangerously salty, scientists say On September 7, 2025, there will be a total lunar eclipse. The last lunar eclipse India saw was on November 8, 2022, and it was a total eclipse. Watch | Earth's core has been leaking for billions of years × So, all lunar enthusiasts must be ready for this partial eclipse of the Moon as it will be a must-see event for skygazers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Moon to put on a show with partial eclipse on October 29. Here are the details

Lunar Eclipse 2023: This year's first lunar eclipse is all set to occur on Friday, May 05, 2023. A lunar eclipse refers to an astronomical event when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the moon to be darkened. According to NASA, "Earth's shadow is categorised into two parts: the umbra, the innermost part of the shadow where direct light from the Sun is completely blocked, and the penumbra, the outermost part of the shadow where the light is partially blocked." The penumbral lunar eclipse will start around 8:44 pm IST and will be clearly visible from India if the weather is good and the sky is clear. The eclipse will reach its maximum at 10:53 pm and will end at 1:01 am on May 6, 2023. According to media reports, in some places, the entire lunar eclipse will be visible. Some other regions that would be able to see the eclipse include Europe, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

<h2>Lunar Eclipse 2023 Details:</h2>

Date- May 05, 2023&nbsp;to May 6, 2023

<h3>Timings- 8:44 pm to 01:01 am</h3>

Maximum Eclipse-&nbsp;May 5, 10:52:59 pm

Lunar Eclipse 2023 country-wise visibility:

The lunar eclipse will be visible from Asia, Africa, Australia, India&nbsp;and the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

Lunar Eclipse 2023 Visibility in India:

Sky gazers in India will be able to watch the lunar eclipse on May 5 after 8:44 pm, and as stated earlier, if the sky is clear, then they'll be able to watch it with the naked eye.&nbsp;

The Penumbral Lunar eclipse in India will be visible in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Patna, Ooty, and Mathura, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat etc will be able to enjoy the lunar eclipse from their respective places.&nbsp;

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to look at directly without using any eye protection. If you're using telescopes or binoculars, make sure to use them with appropriate solar filters.&nbsp;

If you can't watch it from your house or location, you can stream it on several live YouTube channels.&nbsp;

A lunar eclipse occurs several times in a year but not every eclipse is visible to people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lunar Eclipse 2023: This year's first lunar eclipse is all set to occur on Friday, May 05, 2023. A lunar eclipse refers to an astronomical event when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the moon to be darkened.

Lunar Eclipse 2023: This year's first lunar eclipse is all set to occur on Friday, May 05, 2023. A lunar eclipse refers to an astronomical event when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the moon to be darkened. According to NASA, "Earth's shadow is categorised into two parts: the umbra, the innermost part of the shadow where direct light from the Sun is completely blocked, and the penumbra, the outermost part of the shadow where the light is partially blocked." The penumbral lunar eclipse will start around 8:44 pm IST and will be clearly visible from India if the weather is good and the sky is clear. The eclipse will reach its maximum at 10:53 pm and will end at 1:01 am on May 6, 2023. According to media reports, in some places, the entire lunar eclipse will be visible. Some other regions that would be able to see the eclipse include Europe, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Lunar Eclipse 2023 Details: Date- May 05, 2023 to May 6, 2023 Timings- 8:44 pm to 01:01 am Maximum Eclipse- May 5, 10:52:59 pm Lunar Eclipse 2023 country-wise visibility: The lunar eclipse will be visible from Asia, Africa, Australia, India and the Pacific Ocean. Lunar Eclipse 2023 Visibility in India: Sky gazers in India will be able to watch the lunar eclipse on May 5 after 8:44 pm, and as stated earlier, if the sky is clear, then they'll be able to watch it with the naked eye. The Penumbral Lunar eclipse in India will be visible in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Patna, Ooty, and Mathura, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat etc will be able to enjoy the lunar eclipse from their respective places. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to look at directly without using any eye protection. If you're using telescopes or binoculars, make sure to use them with appropriate solar filters. If you can't watch it from your house or location, you can stream it on several live YouTube channels. A lunar eclipse occurs several times in a year but not every eclipse is visible to people.

Lunar Eclipse 2023: Check date, time and where to watch it live in different countries

Something unusual will happen on January 31. A total lunar eclipse, which will be visible from Asia, Australasia and North and Central America, will coincide with a &ldquo;blue moon&rdquo; and a &ldquo;supermoon&rdquo; in what some are calling a &ldquo;super blue blood moon&rdquo;. The event, which for western hemisphere observers happens for the first time in 150 years, will also be the last in a trilogy of supermoons over the past two months. It sounds cool, but how excited should you really be? And is there anything scientists can actually get out of it?

To be honest, I feel pretty conflicted about all the excitement surrounding the supermoon, a term which describes the moon when it is at a close point to the Earth. It&rsquo;s great that people get excited about astronomy, but the trouble is that a supermoon in itself is not really all that special.

Since the moon follows an elliptical orbit around the Earth, the distance between the two bodies changes, ranging from about 360,000km to 406,000km. At its closest point, perigee, the moon will obviously appear largest. Such a &ldquo;maximoon&rdquo; has an apparent diameter about 13% larger than a &ldquo;minimoon&rdquo; at its most distant point, apogee.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203561/original/file-20180126-100926-1t3dezv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>Super Moon in 2016. Betty Wills (Atsme)/wikipedia, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

The effect of a maximoon is often exaggerated &ndash; it is only about 7% larger and 15% brighter than the average moon. This is hardly noticeable when looking at it with the unaided eye. In fact, if you&rsquo;ve seen the moon looking huge at some point, it was probably due to an optical illusion rather than it being near perigee. It&rsquo;s not fully understood why, but the moon seen close to the horizon just appears larger than when it&rsquo;s high in the sky.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tARtQkWdZSM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440"></iframe></figure>

&nbsp;

The mechanisms behind the maximoon have long been known, with astronomers referring to it as &ldquo;perigee full moon&rdquo; or a &ldquo;perigee syzygy&rdquo;, a lovely word that means three celestial bodies in a line. Unsurprisingly, the term supermoon has proved more popular. Coined by an astrologer in 1979, it wasn&rsquo;t really used at all widely until March 2011 when the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was erroneously linked to a supermoon which actually happened eight days later.

What&rsquo;s more, a supermoon isn&rsquo;t exactly the same thing as a maximoon. If you waited until the instant of full moon exactly coincided with the instant of perigee, supermoons would be vanishingly rare. But an unscientific fudge factor is usually included, allowing the full moon to be &ldquo;near&rdquo; perigee &ndash; typically 90% or closer. Change the size of the fudge factor and you can have as many or as few supermoons as you like. In fact, for this week&rsquo;s event, the moon is closest to Earth at about 10:00 UTC on January 30 but the full moon is not till over a day later when it is about 1,200km farther away.

Blue vs blood moon

A blue moon does not appear blue. It&rsquo;s just a term that, in the 1940s, was mistakenly used to describe a rare occasion: the second full moon in a calendar month. Full moons are separated by about 29.5 days and so typically occur in different months, with a blue moon appearing on average every 30 months or so.

A blood moon on the other hand actually appears dusky red. The name, which is not used by scientists, apparently derives from apocalyptic Biblical prophecy. As with supermoon, the term only became popular very recently, in this case in 2014 when a series of four over 18 months spawned a best-selling book.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203558/original/file-20180126-100926-1grwtwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>Image depicting the various phases of a lunar eclipse or Patrick Murtha/wikipedia, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

The effect is caused by a lunar eclipse, when the moon is on the far side of the sun from the Earth &ndash; aligned so that it passes into the Earth&rsquo;s shadow. The moon darkens very considerably and is only lit by the traces of sunlight refracted through the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere. The blue component of the sunlight is scattered to large angles by small particles in the atmosphere leaving only the longer wavelength red light to illuminate the moon.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203111/original/file-20180123-33571-lpjctf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203111/original/file-20180123-33571-lpjctf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is completely in the Earth&rsquo;s shadow. <a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_lunar_eclipse_diagram.png">Tomruen</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

Over this century, there will be 85 total lunar eclipses. This particular one will be visible from Asia, Australasia, North and Central America, but not from Western Europe or much of Africa and South America (though anyone can still enjoy the near full moon).

Research potential

A lunar eclipse is a great opportunity for public viewing, but there are still things that scientists can learn from the event. The details of how the sunlight we see reflected from the moon during eclipse has been altered, scattered and absorbed on its way through our atmosphere, and how this is affected by, for example, volcanic eruptions or even meteor showers, are still being studied.

But in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in studying lunar eclipses from a surprising source, the discovery of planets orbiting other stars. If we see an &ldquo;exoplanet&rdquo; pass across the face of its parent star, a small fraction of the starlight we collect will have passed through the planet&rsquo;s atmosphere. Looking at spectra &ndash; measurements of light broken down by wavelength &ndash; taken during such a transit with those taken out of transit can help determine the composition of the atmosphere. This could include biosignatures such as oxygen, ozone or methane &ndash; which might give away the presence of extraterrestrial life.

A lunar eclipse is a perfect opportunity to study the details of the same effect close to home &ndash; sunlight reflected from the moon during eclipse has passed through the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere and been imprinted with its characteristics. This means the Earth takes the place of a transiting exoplanet. Various lunar eclipse studies are being conducted ahead of observations with upcoming facilities &ndash; such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope &ndash; which have the potential to study the atmospheres of distant Earth-like planets.

But even if you&rsquo;re not a scientist, do go out and have a look this week. You are likely to see a slightly bigger moon than usual, exaggerated in size by the moon illusion as it rises or sets, and in some parts of the globe appearing dark and red from the lunar eclipse. Perhaps the event could inspire you to take up moon gazing. There&rsquo;s so much to love &ndash; such as the shadows of mountains and crater walls at their most dramatic and the incredible feeling of flying across the lunar landscape when you view it through a telescope. As far as I&rsquo;m concerned, every moon is super.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-blue-blood-moon-to-grace-the-sky-heres-what-we-could-learn-from-it-90779" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lunar eclipses might give away the presence of extraterrestrial life.

Something unusual will happen on January 31. A total lunar eclipse, which will be visible from Asia, Australasia and North and Central America, will coincide with a “blue moon” and a “supermoon” in what some are calling a “super blue blood moon”. The event, which for western hemisphere observers happens for the first time in 150 years, will also be the last in a trilogy of supermoons over the past two months. It sounds cool, but how excited should you really be? And is there anything scientists can actually get out of it? To be honest, I feel pretty conflicted about all the excitement surrounding the supermoon, a term which describes the moon when it is at a close point to the Earth. It’s great that people get excited about astronomy, but the trouble is that a supermoon in itself is not really all that special. Since the moon follows an elliptical orbit around the Earth, the distance between the two bodies changes, ranging from about 360,000km to 406,000km. At its closest point, perigee, the moon will obviously appear largest. Such a “maximoon” has an apparent diameter about 13% larger than a “minimoon” at its most distant point, apogee. Super Moon in 2016. Betty Wills (Atsme)/wikipedia, CC BY-SA The effect of a maximoon is often exaggerated – it is only about 7% larger and 15% brighter than the average moon. This is hardly noticeable when looking at it with the unaided eye. In fact, if you’ve seen the moon looking huge at some point, it was probably due to an optical illusion rather than it being near perigee. It’s not fully understood why, but the moon seen close to the horizon just appears larger than when it’s high in the sky. The mechanisms behind the maximoon have long been known, with astronomers referring to it as “perigee full moon” or a “perigee syzygy”, a lovely word that means three celestial bodies in a line. Unsurprisingly, the term supermoon has proved more popular. Coined by an astrologer in 1979, it wasn’t really used at all widely until March 2011 when the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was erroneously linked to a supermoon which actually happened eight days later. What’s more, a supermoon isn’t exactly the same thing as a maximoon. If you waited until the instant of full moon exactly coincided with the instant of perigee, supermoons would be vanishingly rare. But an unscientific fudge factor is usually included, allowing the full moon to be “near” perigee – typically 90% or closer. Change the size of the fudge factor and you can have as many or as few supermoons as you like. In fact, for this week’s event, the moon is closest to Earth at about 10:00 UTC on January 30 but the full moon is not till over a day later when it is about 1,200km farther away. Blue vs blood moon A blue moon does not appear blue. It’s just a term that, in the 1940s, was mistakenly used to describe a rare occasion: the second full moon in a calendar month. Full moons are separated by about 29.5 days and so typically occur in different months, with a blue moon appearing on average every 30 months or so. A blood moon on the other hand actually appears dusky red. The name, which is not used by scientists, apparently derives from apocalyptic Biblical prophecy. As with supermoon, the term only became popular very recently, in this case in 2014 when a series of four over 18 months spawned a best-selling book. Image depicting the various phases of a lunar eclipse or Patrick Murtha/wikipedia, CC BY-SA The effect is caused by a lunar eclipse, when the moon is on the far side of the sun from the Earth – aligned so that it passes into the Earth’s shadow. The moon darkens very considerably and is only lit by the traces of sunlight refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere. The blue component of the sunlight is scattered to large angles by small particles in the atmosphere leaving only the longer wavelength red light to illuminate the moon. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow. Tomruen, CC BY-SA Over this century, there will be 85 total lunar eclipses. This particular one will be visible from Asia, Australasia, North and Central America, but not from Western Europe or much of Africa and South America (though anyone can still enjoy the near full moon). Research potential A lunar eclipse is a great opportunity for public viewing, but there are still things that scientists can learn from the event. The details of how the sunlight we see reflected from the moon during eclipse has been altered, scattered and absorbed on its way through our atmosphere, and how this is affected by, for example, volcanic eruptions or even meteor showers, are still being studied. But in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in studying lunar eclipses from a surprising source, the discovery of planets orbiting other stars. If we see an “exoplanet” pass across the face of its parent star, a small fraction of the starlight we collect will have passed through the planet’s atmosphere. Looking at spectra – measurements of light broken down by wavelength – taken during such a transit with those taken out of transit can help determine the composition of the atmosphere. This could include biosignatures such as oxygen, ozone or methane – which might give away the presence of extraterrestrial life. A lunar eclipse is a perfect opportunity to study the details of the same effect close to home – sunlight reflected from the moon during eclipse has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and been imprinted with its characteristics. This means the Earth takes the place of a transiting exoplanet. Various lunar eclipse studies are being conducted ahead of observations with upcoming facilities – such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope – which have the potential to study the atmospheres of distant Earth-like planets. But even if you’re not a scientist, do go out and have a look this week. You are likely to see a slightly bigger moon than usual, exaggerated in size by the moon illusion as it rises or sets, and in some parts of the globe appearing dark and red from the lunar eclipse. Perhaps the event could inspire you to take up moon gazing. There’s so much to love – such as the shadows of mountains and crater walls at their most dramatic and the incredible feeling of flying across the lunar landscape when you view it through a telescope. As far as I’m concerned, every moon is super. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Super blue blood moon can tell us about unknown planets

During the early hours of Jan. 31, there will be a full moon, a total lunar eclipse, a blue moon and a supermoon &ndash; all at the same time. None of these things is really all that unusual by itself. What is rare is that they&rsquo;re happening all together on one day.

What makes the moon look full?

Like the Earth, half the moon is illuminated by the sun at any one time. The moon orbits around the Earth and as a result we see different amounts of the lit-up side.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203083/original/file-20180123-33535-18ufglr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203083/original/file-20180123-33535-18ufglr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>The phases of the moon visible from Earth are related to its revolution around our planet.&nbsp;(Courtesy:&nbsp;Orion<a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_phases_en.jpg"> 8</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY</a>-<a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">SA</a>)</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

A full moon is when we see its entire lit-up side. This occurs every 29.5 days, when the moon is directly opposite the sun relative to the Earth. Jan. 31 will be our next full moon in the lunar cycle.

What&rsquo;s a lunar eclipse?

The moon&rsquo;s orbit is tilted by about 5 degrees relative to the Earth&rsquo;s orbit. So, most of the time the moon ends up a little above or below the path Earth follows as it revolves around the sun. But twice in each lunar cycle, the moon does cross into our planet&rsquo;s orbital plane.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203111/original/file-20180123-33571-lpjctf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203111/original/file-20180123-33571-lpjctf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is completely in the Earth&rsquo;s shadow.&nbsp;(Courtesy:&nbsp;Tomruen, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>)</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

If that crossing corresponds to a full moon, the moon will pass into the Earth&rsquo;s shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse. Since the moon needs to be behind the Earth, relative to the sun, a lunar eclipse can only happen on a full moon.

To see the phenomenon, you need to be on the night side of the Earth; this eclipse will be visible mostly in Asia, Australia, the Pacific and North America. But don&rsquo;t worry if you miss it, lunar eclipses happen on average a couple times a year. The next one visible in North America will be on Jan. 21, 2019.

A blue moon that looks red

When a lunar eclipse happens, the moon appears to darken as it moves into the Earth&rsquo;s shadow called the umbra. When the moon is all the way in shadow it doesn&rsquo;t go completely dark; instead, it looks red due to a process called Rayleigh scattering. The gas molecules of Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere scatter bluer wavelengths of light from the sun, while redder wavelengths pass straight through.

This is why we have blue skies and red sunrises and sunsets. When the sun is high in the sky, red light passes straight through to the ground while blue light is scattered in every direction, making it more likely to hit your eye when you look around. During a sunset, the angle of the sun is lower in the sky and that red light instead passes directly into your eyes while the blue light is scattered away from your line of sight.

<figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203107/original/file-20180123-33560-r0cofb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203107/original/file-20180123-33560-r0cofb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>A super blood moon tinted red by scattered light.&nbsp;(Courtesy:&nbsp;GSFC, CC<a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"> BY</a>)</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

In the case of a lunar eclipse, the sunlight that makes it around Earth passes through our atmosphere and is refracted toward the moon. Blue light is filtered out, leaving the moon looking reddish during an eclipse.

On top of it all, the Jan. 31 full moon is also a considered a blue moon. There are two different definitions of blue moon. The first is any time a second full moon occurs in a single month. Since there are 29.5 days between two full moons, we usually only end up with one per month. With most months longer than 29.5 days, it occasionally works out that we have two full moons. We already had one on the first of this month and our second will be Jan. 31, making it a blue moon. With this definition our next blue moon is in March, leaving February with no full moon this year.

The second definition of a blue moon states it&rsquo;s the third moon in a season in which there are four moons, which happens about every 2.7 years. We&rsquo;ll only have three this winter, so the Jan. 31 full moon won&rsquo;t be blue by this definition. Stargazers will need to wait until May 18, 2019, for a blue moon that fits this older, original definition.

A supersized supermoon

Finally, to add the cherry on top, this will also be a supermoon. The moon&rsquo;s orbit is not perfectly circular, meaning its distance from Earth varies as it goes through one cycle. The closest point in its orbit is called the perigee. A full moon that happens near perigee is called a supermoon by some.

This happened with our full moon earlier this month on Jan. 1 and will again on Jan. 31.

<figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203086/original/file-20180123-33557-n72zr9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203086/original/file-20180123-33557-n72zr9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>Appearance of an &lsquo;average&rsquo; moon versus a supermoon.&nbsp;(Courtesy:&nbsp;Marcoaliaslama, CC<a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"> </a>BY<a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">-</a>SA)</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

Its proximity makes it seem a little bit bigger and brighter than usual, but that&rsquo;s the extent of its effects on Earth. The distinction is usually hard to notice unless you&rsquo;re looking at two pictures side by side.

There are long traditions of giving different moons names. This being a bigger, brighter, reddish-looking blue moon, perhaps we should call the next full moon the super purple moon. The moon will not actually appear purple, nor will have it a cape &ndash; but Jan. 31 is a great time to gaze up and enjoy the night sky.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/look-up-at-the-super-blue-blood-full-moon-jan-31-heres-what-youll-see-and-why-89738" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When the moon is all the way in shadow it doesn’t go completely dark; instead, it looks red due to a process called Rayleigh scattering.

During the early hours of Jan. 31, there will be a full moon, a total lunar eclipse, a blue moon and a supermoon – all at the same time. None of these things is really all that unusual by itself. What is rare is that they’re happening all together on one day. What makes the moon look full? Like the Earth, half the moon is illuminated by the sun at any one time. The moon orbits around the Earth and as a result we see different amounts of the lit-up side. The phases of the moon visible from Earth are related to its revolution around our planet. (Courtesy: Orion 8, CC BY-SA) A full moon is when we see its entire lit-up side. This occurs every 29.5 days, when the moon is directly opposite the sun relative to the Earth. Jan. 31 will be our next full moon in the lunar cycle. What’s a lunar eclipse? The moon’s orbit is tilted by about 5 degrees relative to the Earth’s orbit. So, most of the time the moon ends up a little above or below the path Earth follows as it revolves around the sun. But twice in each lunar cycle, the moon does cross into our planet’s orbital plane. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow. (Courtesy: Tomruen, CC BY-SA) If that crossing corresponds to a full moon, the moon will pass into the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse. Since the moon needs to be behind the Earth, relative to the sun, a lunar eclipse can only happen on a full moon. To see the phenomenon, you need to be on the night side of the Earth; this eclipse will be visible mostly in Asia, Australia, the Pacific and North America. But don’t worry if you miss it, lunar eclipses happen on average a couple times a year. The next one visible in North America will be on Jan. 21, 2019. A blue moon that looks red When a lunar eclipse happens, the moon appears to darken as it moves into the Earth’s shadow called the umbra. When the moon is all the way in shadow it doesn’t go completely dark; instead, it looks red due to a process called Rayleigh scattering. The gas molecules of Earth’s atmosphere scatter bluer wavelengths of light from the sun, while redder wavelengths pass straight through. This is why we have blue skies and red sunrises and sunsets. When the sun is high in the sky, red light passes straight through to the ground while blue light is scattered in every direction, making it more likely to hit your eye when you look around. During a sunset, the angle of the sun is lower in the sky and that red light instead passes directly into your eyes while the blue light is scattered away from your line of sight. A super blood moon tinted red by scattered light. (Courtesy: GSFC, CC BY) In the case of a lunar eclipse, the sunlight that makes it around Earth passes through our atmosphere and is refracted toward the moon. Blue light is filtered out, leaving the moon looking reddish during an eclipse. On top of it all, the Jan. 31 full moon is also a considered a blue moon. There are two different definitions of blue moon. The first is any time a second full moon occurs in a single month. Since there are 29.5 days between two full moons, we usually only end up with one per month. With most months longer than 29.5 days, it occasionally works out that we have two full moons. We already had one on the first of this month and our second will be Jan. 31, making it a blue moon. With this definition our next blue moon is in March, leaving February with no full moon this year. The second definition of a blue moon states it’s the third moon in a season in which there are four moons, which happens about every 2.7 years. We’ll only have three this winter, so the Jan. 31 full moon won’t be blue by this definition. Stargazers will need to wait until May 18, 2019, for a blue moon that fits this older, original definition. A supersized supermoon Finally, to add the cherry on top, this will also be a supermoon. The moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular, meaning its distance from Earth varies as it goes through one cycle. The closest point in its orbit is called the perigee. A full moon that happens near perigee is called a supermoon by some. This happened with our full moon earlier this month on Jan. 1 and will again on Jan. 31. Appearance of an ‘average’ moon versus a supermoon. (Courtesy: Marcoaliaslama, CC BY-SA) Its proximity makes it seem a little bit bigger and brighter than usual, but that’s the extent of its effects on Earth. The distinction is usually hard to notice unless you’re looking at two pictures side by side. There are long traditions of giving different moons names. This being a bigger, brighter, reddish-looking blue moon, perhaps we should call the next full moon the super purple moon. The moon will not actually appear purple, nor will have it a cape – but Jan. 31 is a great time to gaze up and enjoy the night sky. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Super blue blood full moon looks red

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