Posted on 01/20/2019 6:25:36 PM PST by Redcitizen
Grab your winter coat, some hot cocoa and your kid's telescope on Sunday and head outside because the next super blood wolf moon wont be showing its face for another 18 years.
While the celestial phenomenon sounds like something youd read in a teenage werewolf novel, its actual meaning is derived from multiple sources.
The term "super" refers to the placement of the moon. This month, the moon will be at its closest point to Earths orbit, making it appear larger than normal.
The term "wolf" derives from the Native American nickname for January's full moon and the wolves who "howled in hunger outside the villages," according to the Farmers Almanac.
The term "blood" comes from the way the suns light bends and refracts off the Earth's atmosphere and onto the moons surface, making it appear red or copper at times. This phenomenon, called "Rayleigh scattering," is also what causes the beautiful colors of our sunrises and sunsets as well as what makes our sky look blue. NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California notes, however, that clouds, dust, ash and organic matter in Earths atmosphere may change the expected color of a super wolf blood moon.
"Were not sure what color it will turn. It really depends on the earths atmosphere, whether weve had storms, volcanic eruptions, all sorts of things," explained Dr. David Reitzel, an astronomer and lecturer at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Okay that means binocs and silver bullets. I'm all set!
Starts at 936pm EST, max eclipse 1212am.
Enjoy!
We’re on it! Can’t wait! :)
Too cloudy here. Won’t see it. :-(
Same here. Totally overcast.
It will distracts us from the planet heading our way on the opposite side of the planet.
Or my Korean name.
I forget which.
Don’t be fooled by the hype and colorful names. It will just be slightly larger than your typical lunar eclipse. If you’re looking at it with binoculars or a telescope, it won’t mean anything.
If I don’t see it...
It didn’t happen.
I’m a skeptic.
Me either - overcast in Florida bummer!
Clear(and colder than a witches...)here...looks a little larger than normal, but no color.
Just looked out at the moon. It looks like a light bulb is hanging in space, it’s so bright.
Just went outside and saw a completely normal looking full moon.
I looked out the window and found the moon. At 9:45 p.m. in NYC, it didn’t look any different than usual. Maybe I’ll check it later.
Yep. Percent Illum here in AR is 85%+
There won’t be color until the full eclipse begins. Then it will be dark enough to see the residual scattered red light from every sunrise and sunset on Earth. It’s cloudy here, being Oregon.
Telescopes are. Kids toys, huh?
Yeah I hate that sucker punch move.
yay! :) I got just a tiny bit of cloud cover.
I just went outside to take a look but the yard is full of werewolves.
They’ve taken every decent spot to put a lawn chair!
Make it a Korean Indian name.
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