Best Super-Blue-Blood-Moon Viewing Is Here
NASA says best views of Wednesday's event is in the west.
Set your alarm and get up early Wednesday to see the show! It's the first, Super-Blue-Blood Moon visible in the US in 150 years! NASA says "If you live in the western part of North America, Alaska, and the Hawaiian islands, you might set your alarm early the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 31 for a lunar trifecta: a pre-dawn super blue blood moon!”
Here in Western Colorado, we live in some of the best viewing spots in the west. The January 31 full moon is special for three reasons: 1) it’s the third in a series of “supermoons,” when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. The moon appears about 14 percent brighter than usual. 2) It’s also the second full moon of the month. What's called a "blue moon." 3) It's a total lunar eclipse The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give it it's red appearance.
Here is Wednesday morning's event in bullet points...
- Supermoon – when the Moon is full at it’s closest distance to Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter
- Blue Moon – when a calendar month has a Full Moon twice
- Blood Moon – the name given the reddish color seen during a total lunar eclipse
- Moon rises around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30
- Moon enters partial shadow around 3:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31
- enters totality around 5:50 a.m.
- the peak of eclipse happens around 6:30 a.m.
- total eclipse ends around 7:07 a.m.
Credit: NASA