A 'super blood wolf moon eclipse' is happening this weekend
- by Brittany Mendoza
- in Research
- — Jan 18, 2019
It won't take any special equipment to see the total eclipse - no telescopes or dark glasses required.
The full moon is known as a blood moon when it turns a reddish-brown colour, as it is lit up by light bent into the Earth's shadow by sunsets and sunrises. A cold front is expected to pass through the region Sunday, which will drop an arctic chill into the area, quickly plunging overnight temperatures into the 40s during the eclipse. It's also know as old moon.
The website also explains why this type of eclipse is rare.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in alignment.
The number of eclipse watchers soared higher than the heavens last July when we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience and what is fun about Sunday night's show is that the January 20-21, 2019 total lunar eclipse will last one hour and two minutes, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center lunar eclipse projections.
The Moon will be pretty low in the sky, so to have a chance of seeing it, make sure you have a free line of sight to the western horizon.
It's hard to predict the exact hue of lunar eclipses, but whatever shade results can offer insight about the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere. A grey eclipse is clear skies. From Hawaii to ME, all 50 states will have a chance to see it - the most widely visible lunar eclipse in the United States since October 2014.
It's understood the eclipse will last five hours, and while many Kiwis may not see it, there are four more eclipses due to occur around the world this year.
By the time the total eclipse starts at 11:41 p.m., the view should be clear with only spotty upper level clouds, says Scott Krentz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service based out of Greenville-Spartanburg. You will immediately receive a time table for this Sunday's phenomena. This is the beginning of the partial eclipse. Green and blue don't make it through, scattered away by the particles in the Earth's atmosphere.
Midwesterners and southerners should get a good look at the big, red moon.
Of course, as is the case in a large theater, auditorium or concert hall, some will have a better view than others.
Experts say there will be four more eclipses this year. Sunday's eclipse will nearly coincide with that perigee, meaning that the moon won't just be redder than usual, it will also look a tiny bit wider.
A "wolf moon" is what Native Americans call the year's first full moon. From Cape Hatteras, it will reach 75 degrees; Orlando, 80 degrees; and Miami, 83 degrees.
So why does the Moon appear red?
On Sunday, the second partial phase ends at 10:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or shortly past 7:30 p.m. It's when the moon will begin to enter the outer part of the Earth's shadow, called the penumbra. A Wolf Moon is the name given to the first full moon in January. Sunlight filtered through the earth's atmosphere bounces back onto the moon's surface, and because the light waves are stretched out, they appear red when they strike the moon's surface.
