World witnesses 'Super Blue Blood Moon'

#SuperBlueRedMoon, #SolarSystem, #Moon, #SuperMoon, #Earth'sMoon, #NASA

Washington, Jan 31 (Canadian-Media): For the first time in more than 150 years in the United States, a total lunar eclipse coincided with a blue moon and a supermoon looking like a red fireball appeared in the sky early this morning, media reports said.

The rare blue blood moon was reportedly the combination of a supermoon, a blue moon, and a total lunar eclipse and is significant for  three reasons: the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and about 14 percent brighter than usual -- known as perigee --  and it’s the third in a series of “supermoons,”.
 
It’s also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a “blue moon.” This super blue passes through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse.

Lastlty the moon in the Earth’s shadow takes on a reddish tint, known as a “blood moon.” 

Today's “super blue blood moon.”  was visible before sunrise in North America, Alaska and Hawaii, while those in the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand, it can be seen during moonrise today evening.
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Super blue blood moon: NASA website

hose living  in North America, Alaska, or Hawaii, could reportedly see the eclipse before sunrise on Jan. 31, while for those in the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand, the “super blue blood moon” can be seen during moonrise today's evening. 

“Weather permitting, the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have a spectacular view of totality from start to finish,” Gordon Johnston, program executive and lunar blogger at NASA Headquarters in Washington was reported to state.

"Unfortunately, eclipse viewing will be more challenging in the Eastern time zone. The eclipse begins at 5:51 AM ET, as the Moon is about to set in the western sky, and the sky is getting lighter in the east, said Johnston.

Stages of the Jan. 31, 2018 “super blue blood moon” depicted in Pacific Time -- reportedly moonset times, for major cities across the U.S. -- was visible today while viewers along the East Coast could reportedly see only the initial stages of the eclipse before moonset, and those in the West and Hawaii could reportedly see  most or all of the lunar eclipse phases before dawn.

For viewers in New York or Washington, D.C., reportedly, the moon entered the outer part of Earth’s shadow reportedly at reportedly about 5:51 a.m..

The darker part of Earth’s shadow will begin to blanket part of the Moon with a reddish tint at 6:48 a.m. EST, but the Moon will set less than a half-hour later.

“So your best opportunity if you live in the East is to head outside about 6:45 a.m. and get to a high place to watch the start of the eclipse—make sure you have a clear line of sight to the horizon in the west-northwest, opposite from where the Sun will rise,”  Johnston was reported to state.

Viewing of this phenomenon was much better for those living in the Central time zone since the action started when the Moon was higher in the western sky.

The eclipse was not very visible in the lightening pre-dawn sky, and the Moon set after 7:00 a.m, the time when the Sun rises.

“So if you live in Kansas City or Chicago, your best viewing will be from about 6:15-6:30 a.m,” Johnston was reported to state and continued. “Again, you’ll have more success if you can go to a high place with a clear view to the West.” 

In the Rocky Mountain region, the peak of the blood moon eclipse was at about 6:30 a.m. local time, and the Moon set shortly after 7 a.m. 
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For Californians and viewers in western Canada the umbral eclipse began at 3:48 a.m. Pacific Time. and best viewing between about 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. local time, the totality phase ended about 6:05 a.m. ​

Changing colours of the super blue blood moon: Twitter

Johnston had been following and writing about the Moon since 2004, when he and about 20 colleagues at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) --  an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research -- headquarters would get together after work during the full moon in, which for Johnston meant his signature bow tie.

“I have always been fascinated by the night sky. Most of what we can see without a telescope are points of light, but the Moon is close enough that we can see it and the features on it, and notice what changes and what stays the same each night,” ​Johnston was reported to state.

​(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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