Super blue blood moon delights skywatchers
A Super Blue Blood Moon is coming
A rare celestial occurrence called a 'Super Blue Blood Moon' will be visible on January 31, 2018. What exactly is this rare phenomenon and where can you see it?
Skywatchers are being treated to the extremely rare phenomenon of a super blue blood moon early Wednesday.
The unusual lunar trifecta is occurring for the first time in North America since 1866, according to Space.com.
SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON 2018: WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE
“The Jan. 31 full moon is special for three reasons: it’s the third in a series of ‘supermoons,’ when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit -- known as perigee -- and about 14 percent brighter than usual,” explains NASA. “It’s also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a ‘blue moon.’ The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a ‘blood moon.’
“For the (continental) U.S., the viewing will be best in the West,” explained Gordon Johnston, program executive and lunar blogger at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement.
Across the globe, skywatchers have been closely monitoring the moon to see the rare event.
People set up telescopes on the waterfront for the super blue moon and eclipse in Hong Kong, China Jan. 31, 2018. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip)
Photographers have also been capturing the phenomenon on camera.
The Statue of Liberty is backdropped by a supermoon, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. The supermoon, which is the final of three consecutive supermoons, also experience lunar eclipse as it set over the horizon, but only a partial eclipse was visible in the East Coast. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Only a partial eclipse, however, was visible in the East Coast of the U.S.
The Statue of Liberty is backdropped by a supermoon, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The lunar spectactle is generating plenty of buzz on social media, with #SuperBlueBloodMoon a topic trending global topic on Twitter.
A NASA live feed of the event can be viewed here.
The unusual lunar showstopper won't happen again until 2037.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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