If you’ve got a good telescope and a passion for astronomy, then you’ve got something to look forward to this month. An incredible celestial event is coming this month to wow onlookers. Starting late night January 20th, and going into the wee hours of January 21st, a ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ and total lunar eclipse will be occurring simultaneously.
The term ‘blood moon’ comes from the red color that the moon gives off during a period of total lunar eclipse. A ‘wolf moon’ is the name given to a full moon that occurs during the winter. And a total lunar eclipse is when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, completely covering the moon with its shadow. That’s three celestial events in one.
People located in North and South America, as well as parts of Africa and western Europe, will be able to see the spectacle come January 20th-21st. Experts say that it will last for roughly three and a half hours, with 12:15 EST being the peak time to watch.
This will be the first total lunar eclipse, since July 27th of 2018. The next one isn’t expected to occur until May of 2021.
