In the early hours of tomorrow morning (January 31, 2018 ), a super blue blood moon will be visible in most of North America, Australia, Hawaii, and much of Asia. You may  wonder how a blood moon could be blue, why it’s super, and how moon naming became so confusing in the first place. Fear not, UYBFS has the answers!

What is a super blue blood moon?

It is a combination of three different types of moons: super, blue, and blood.

A super moon describes a full Moon that is closer than normal to Earth. This happens because the Moon’s orbit is elliptical. The point of the Moon’s orbit that is closest to the Earth is called the perigee; and when the full moon occurs on the perigee we see a super moon. There are typically 3-4  super moons a year and they range in relative “size” depending on how close to the actual perigee the full moon occurs. A typical full super moon appears to be about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a normal moon.

A blue moon has nothing to do with color; instead, it occurs when there are two full moons in a single calendar month. In this case, the second full moon is called the blue moon. This is where the phrase “once in a blue moon” comes from, since it doesn’t happen all that often – typically occuring every 2-3 years.

A blood moon occurs during a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon at night, preventing the Sun’s rays from hitting the Moon. Because the Earth’s atmosphere can bend light, some light still hits the Moon, but the light is scattered as it moves through the Earth’s atmosphere. As a result, the shorter wave lengths are reduced, causing the Moon to take on a reddish color; hence, the term “blood” moon. If the Earth had no atmosphere, the Moon would be almost completely black during a lunar eclipse. There are typically 2-5 lunar eclipses a year, but most are partial. A total lunar eclipse usually occurs every 2-3 years.

Therefore, a super blue blood moon is a moon that is very near its maximal perigee during a lunar eclipse (in Wednesday’s case, a total eclipse), while also being the second full moon of the month. These are incredibly rare. The last one occurred on March 31, 1866.

When and where can I see this awesome moon?

The best viewing will be from the northern west coast of North America. Here are the details for the major North American time zones:

Eastern Time Zone. Unfortunately, people on the East Coast will miss out on most of the eclipse (the blood), which will occur from approximately 6:48 am to 10:11 am EST. The greatest totality (which is the best viewing) will occur around 8:30 am EST. The problem is the Moon will set shortly after 7 am EST, so all you’ll be able to see is the very beginning of the eclipse before the Moon goes down. Also, depending on where you are, the Sun will rise around 7-7:30 am, ruining your view of the setting moon. It’s still worth seeing before sun rise and moon set, because even a setting super blue blood moon is cool.

Central Time Zone. Here, the eclipse will occur between 5:48 am  and 9:11am, with the totality at 7:30 am. The Moon will set (and the Sun will rise) shortly after 7 am, so you will miss around half of the eclipse, but will be able to see more than those on the East Coast. Those in the extreme northwestern portion of the timezone (like Williston, ND) may be able to see the totality before the Moon slips below the horizon and the Sun comes up.

Mountain Time Zone. The eclipse will occur between 4:48 am and 8:11 am, with the totality at 6:30 am. The Moon set and Sun rise will set around 7-7:30 am for most of the major population centers in the area like Denver, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, so you should be able to see most of the eclipse.

Pacific Time Zone. Those on the West Coast will be able to see the entire eclipse, but the bad news is you’ll have to get up early to see it. The eclipse will occur between 3:48 am and 7:11 am, with the totality around 5:30 am. By the time the Moon sets on the West Coast, the eclipse will be over.

What other types of moons are there?

There are a ton. Here’s a rundown.

New moon: This occurs when the Sun is behind the Moon and no light shines on the near (Earth-facing) side. You typically can’t see a new moon. Sometimes it is called a dark moon.

Crescent moon: When the first sliver of light from the Sun hits the Moon it causes a crescent shaped portion to light up. At the start of the Moon’s cycle, is referred to as a waxing crescent moon. A waning crescent moon occurs at the end of the lunar cycle, as the last of the Sun’s rays disappear.

Quarter moon: This occurs when half of the Moon is illuminated – the halfway point between the new and full moon in the lunar cycle. In the first half of the lunar cycle, as the Moon is “growing” in illuminated area, is referred to as a first quarter moon. In the second half of the lunar cycle, when the Moon is “shrinking,” is called a third quarter moon, also a last quarter moon.

Gibbous moon: Between the first quarter moon and the full moon is the waxing gibbous moon. In this case, the illuminated area of the moon is larger than a semi-circle, but smaller than a full moon. After the full moon, the waning gibbous moon leads into the third quarter moon.

Full moon: This is the opposite of the new moon – the entire face of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun’s rays.

Micro moon: Opposite of the super moon, a micro moon is just what it sounds like – a Moon that appears smaller than normal. A Micro Moon can look about 14% smaller (and 30% less bright) that what we typically see. It occurs when a full Moon coincides with the point in the orbit that is farthest from the Earth, which is called the apogee.

Black moon: When there are two new moons in a single month, the second new moon is called a black moon. It’s the opposite of a blue moon, and occurs at a similar frequency.

Cheshire moon: When a crescent moon appears tilted, relative to the Earth, the “tips” of the crescent point upwards, making it look like a smile. The same smile worn by the Cheshire Cat in CS Lewis’ Alice in Wonderland. This is also called a wet moon.

In addition to these specific terms used to describe different points in the Moon’s cycle and specific astronomical events, each month has a name for its full moon. These are mostly traditional names which have been around for centuries; and, in some cases, they vary depending on your location.

The first moon of the year in January is generally called the wolf moon, and sometimes called the old moon. The February full moon is called the snow moon and the March moon is called the worm moon. April is the pink moon and May is the flower moon or the milk moon. Next comes the strawberry moon in June, the buck moon in July, and the sturgeon moon in August. September is generally the corn moon and October the hunter’s moon, but whichever is closest the the autumnal equinox (September 21st) is always called the harvest moon. So a full moon in early October would be a harvest hunter moon. November is the frost moon (or frosty moon), and can also be called the beaver moon. Finally, December is called the cold moon. Now that’s a lot of moons! Here’s a link to how some of these names came about.

Enjoy the super blue blood moon everyone!

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