The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source: Fox News
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:25 PM
Super Blood Moon Wows Skywatchers During Late Night Tuesday
The unusual lunar trifecta occurred for the first time in North America since 1866, according to Space.com.
“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 were closely monitoring the moon to see
the rare event.
Only a partial eclipse, however, was visible in the East Coast of the
U.S.
