Last night, we were returning from a movie and we stopped outside and admired the big, bright full moon in the sky. There’s been a lot in the news feeds this week about the moon. I hope you’ve taken a few minutes to look up and see the “Super Blue Blood Moon” as it’s being called.
The reason that this particular moon sighting is being talked about so much, is because it’s rare to see these three moon events at the same time. It’s the first time since March 31, 1866 (the year after the Civil War ended) that we have had a Super Moon, a Blood Moon and a Blue Moon all at the same time. They are calling it “a lunar trifecta.”
Our moon orbits the Earth approximately every 27 days and a Super Moon occurs when a moon is both full and at its closest point to the Earth. Being closer to the Earth is what makes it appear larger in the sky.
The second full moon in the same calendar month is called a Blue Moon…not to be confused with a Blue Moon Beer. Blue Moons usually occur every two to three years, and most often when the first full moon falls very early in a calendar month.
A Blood Moon refers to the color of the full moon on the night of a total lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse is when the sun, the Earth, and the moon line up in space. When the moon is fully eclipsed, it turns a coppery orange red in color. This eclipse happened early this morning and I hope you were able to see it!
Sometimes we get so busy with our lives that we forget to notice the celestial artwork above us. In case you are wondering, the next full moon will be on March 1, 2018. We’ll be looking up…how about you?