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from the still-waiting-for-the-hyper-ultra-mega-turbo-moon dept.
According to a report at phys.org, The moon is about to do something it hasn't done in more than 150 years:
Three separate celestial events will occur simultaneously that night, resulting in what some are calling a super blue blood moon eclipse. The astronomical rarity hasn't happened for more than 150 years.
A super moon, like the one visible on New Year's Day, is the term for when a full moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, appearing bigger and brighter than normal.
On Jan. 31, the moon will be full for the second time in a month, a rare occasion—it happens once every two and a half years—known as a blue moon.
To top it off, there will also be a total lunar eclipse. But unlike last year's solar eclipse, this sky-watching event isn't going to be as visible in the continental United States. The best views of the middle-of-the-night eclipse will be in central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, although Alaska and Hawaii will get a glimpse, too.
For the rest of the U.S., the eclipse will come too close to when the moon sets for the phenomenon to be visible.
Because of the way the light filters through the atmosphere during an eclipse, blue light is bounced away from the moon, while red light is reflected. The eclipsed moon's reddish color earned it the nickname blood moon.
Super blue blood moon?
So, an extremely noble or socially prominent moon? ;)
I wonder what differences, if any, there would be in the appearance of the Earth from a person standing on the moon, compared to a "normal" full moon?
(Score: 2) by terrab0t on Friday January 05 2018, @07:38PM (2 children)
I sure hope there are some people in Japan with nice cameras to capture this for us.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 05 2018, @07:43PM
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Friday January 05 2018, @10:26PM
I feel old. I reflexively think I have to travel to see this stuff, just like anyone would have had to, in the 1980s. Or wait for magazines to print a few stills.
But now, with the rise of the Internet and cell phone cameras and cheap computerized motorized amateur telescopes that automatically track stars, can tune into live streaming video of these astronomical events from the comfort of home. I mean, oh noes, if you missed the 2012 Venus transit, there won't be another until 2117! Except, if we want to see a Venus transit that much, we could put a telescope into a place such as the Sun--Venus L2 Lagrange point that would see one constantly. But why bother, when we could put a probe in so many more interesting places, such as, in orbit about Venus? Can of course watch recordings of the 2012 or the 2004 transit.