The Super Blood Wolf Moon of 2019 in Pictures

Astrophotography, Photography
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The Super Blood Wolf Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happened Sunday night (January 20, 2019). The name might sound weird but here a small breakdown.

  1. Wolf Moon: The first full moon in a year is called Wolf Moon.
  2. Supermoon: Is a full moon or new moon which coincides when the moon comes closest to earth in its elliptic orbit.
  3. Blood Moon: Also called Lunar eclipse. This is when the earth comes between the moon and the sun while the moon passes through earth’s shadow (the Umbra). The light refracted by earth atmosphere lets the moon appear in red. Because of the reddish color, a lunar eclipse is often called a Blood Moon.

Now if all of these requirements are met at the same time we get to see the Super Blood Wolf Moon. This means it was the first full moon of the year, while the moon is very close to earth and in the shadow of our planet (the Umbra). The Umbra is the “darkest” part of earth shadow and the moon has to pass through it for it to be a total lunar eclipse (Blood Moon).

The Geometry of a Lunar Eclipse (Courtesy of NASA)

 

It’s very rare to see a Super Blood Wolf Moon. The next one wont happen for at least a decade. On the contrary, lunar eclipses are not that rare after all. We might just not pay enough attention to it, as it doesn’t affect us (visually) as much as a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the day becomes night for a few minutes. Lunar eclipses happen during the night and usually last for a few hours.

Lunar Eclipses are safe to watch. No eye protection is required to safely view lunar eclipses. There is also no need for special protection for your camera gear if you want to picture the eclipse.

Partial Lunar Eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse (Penumbral Lunar Eclipse) will happen in a little less than a year from now. This Penumbral Lunar Eclipse won’t be visible from the North and South American continent. Only the rest of the world gets to see it. In a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, the moon never enters the full shadow of Earth (called Umbra).

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 2020 (Courtesy of TimeAndDate.com)

Total Lunar Eclipse

The next total lunar eclipse will happen on May 26, 2021, and will be visible from North America, South America, Australia and parts of Asia. Mark your calendar.

Total Lunar Eclipse 2021 (Courtesy of TimeAndDate.com)

Photos of the Super Blood Wolf Moon 2019

Astrophotography, Moon, Photography
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