The "Super Blue-Blood Moon" countdown has begun.
Come the morning of Wednesday, January 31st, some of North America will be have the chance to view this rare event.
First, let's break down the title.
"Supermoon" - A full or new moon when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit; also called its "perigee". The makes a full moon slightly larger and brighter than an average full moon. The moon orbits the earth in an elliptical pattern, which is why it sometimes is closer and sometimes farther away. These aren't that rare, but the name has really caught on over the past few years.
"Blue Moon" - Either the second full moon in a month, or the fourth full moon in a season. It has nothing to do with its color.
"Blood Moon" - This one does have to do with its color. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon will glow "blood red" while its within the Earth's shadow. Rays from the sun are scattered through the Earth's atmosphere, and shine through to the moon, which leads to its reddish color.
So here's the deal. We will not be able to see the total lunar eclipse from Michigan. However, we will still be able to see something pretty cool in the western sky before the sun rises.
IMPORTANT TIMES AROUND DETROIT (EST)
(times via www.timeanddate.com)
5:51 a.m. - Penumbral eclipse begins. This is when the outer edge of Earth's shadow begins to cover the moon. You usually can't see a big change; just a faintly darker corner of the moon.
6:48 a.m. - Partial eclipse begins. You'll notice the earth's shadow beginning to cover the upper-left corner of the moon.
7:42 a.m. - BEST TIME TO VIEW IN MICHIGAN* - Actually any time from 6:48am to 7:42am will be fascinating, but this will be the final few minutes we see an almost total lunar eclipse before the moon sets.
7:46 a.m. - Moonset and sunrise time for Detroit.
7:51 a.m. - Full lunar eclipse begins. The moon gets its blood-red color. The western U.S. will have a great view, but the moon will be below the horizon from Michigan.
8:29 a.m. - Maximum eclipse.
9:08 a.m. - Full eclipse ends.
10:11 a.m. - Partial eclipse ends.
11:08 a.m. - Penumbral eclipse ends.
No, this is not the first blue moon / total lunar eclipse in over 150 years.
Despite some memes you may have seen on social media, the last blue moon during a total lunar eclipse was actually December 30, 1982, according toearthsky.org. There was also one December 30, 1963. However, those two blue moon / total lunar eclipses did not take place over North or South America.
The last time this event occurred over North America was March 1, 1866.
The last supermoon during a total lunar eclipse (not a blue moon) was September 2015.
The next total lunar eclipse visible in the U.S. will be January 2019.
