The new year will be welcomed by a new moon, a Super Blue Blood Moon to be exact, as the rare lunar phase is expected to happen sometime during this month.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from the United States has claimed that December's Full Cold Moon has ignited a "supermoon" trilogy, where the Super Blue Blood Moon is due to be the third in the series. The second one was a supermoon from the first day of 2018, to be followed by an even more special supermoon on Jan. 31.
What makes the Super Blue Blood Moon unique is that it's actually a Blue Moon which occurs during a total lunar eclipse. The term "blue" actually has nothing to do with the color it will be, which is often red due to the total lunar eclipse, hence the term "blood." As such, people who were expecting a purple moon will be disappointed.
Regardless of color, the supermoon on the said date will make the moon appear as much as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter compared than a usual full moon. People who have been wanting to see a Blue Moon and then some, are advised to take their chance moon-gazing on the 31st, as the said special lunar phase can only happen once every 2.7 years.
"Sometimes the celestial rhythms sync up just right to wow us," according to NASA, taking note of the special occurrence of the supermoon trilogy, and at the start of 2018 nonetheless. According to NASA, the full display of the Super Blue Blood Moon can be viewed from North America across the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Asia. This means that some countries' perspectives of the said event might get a little skewed or turn out differently because of how the moon rotates and revolves around the Earth.
"The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset. Folks in the Eastern United States, where the eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to see it," advised NASA.
