A Super Blue Blood Moon Is Coming — Here's How to See It
The New Year’s Eve fireworks won’t be the only show in the sky this year. According to Space.com, the sky above will be putting on a rare and glorious show of its own over New Year's Day and throughout the month of January with a super blue blood moon you just have to see.
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While the name is long, it’s actually a pretty easy to understand natural celestial phenomenon. As Space.com explained, a blue moon is when two full moons occur in the same calendar month. A supermoon, the site added, happens when the moon is in something called “perigee,” which means it’s making its closest approach to Earth in a single orbit.
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Here’s how it all breaks down:
First Full Moon
The first full moon of January will take place on the night of New Year's Day. For those in New York, the full moon will make its first appearance at 9:24 p.m. In the U.K., people can look up to see the full moon at 2:24 a.m. (so long as they aren’t too bleary-eyed from all the champagne).
Supermoon
Finally, the supermoon, or second full moon of the month, will take place the night before the second full moon on Jan. 30. Then, the moon will be just 223,068 miles from Earth, compared to its average distance of 238,855 miles. This will make it appear much larger than it typically does as it hovers in the sky. So make sure to look up on New Year’s Day and all month long as the moon gives a big hello to 2018.
Blue Moon and Blood Moon
The second full moon, or blue moon, which also comes with a lunar eclipse, will occur on the night of Jan. 31 for most. This is when the moon will also take on the characteristically orange-red color of a blood moon as it passes over the Midwest through the completion of the lunar eclipse. Really, this is the astrological event that is a true must-see in January.
However, there are some around the globe who won’t experience it until the morning of Feb. 1, which means it technically will not be a blue moon for them. As an example, Space.com explained that in Melbourne, Australia, the first full moon comes on Jan. 2 at 1:24 p.m. local time. The second full moon then doesn’t arrive until Feb. 1 at 1:26 a.m. But we’ll let that slide just this once.
But, if you’re in California, you’re in luck. According to Space.com, the eclipse will begin at 2:51 a.m. local time. At 4:51 a.m. local time, the total phase will start and totality will end at 6:07 a.m.
