Rare Blood Moon Captivates Stargazers
NASA shares incredible images of the moon as it glowed during a total lunar eclipse.
Turn your gaze to the stars tonight for an eerie and spectacular view of
the "blood moon." At 12:53 a.m. ET, the Earth will begin to position
itself between the sun and the moon for the first of a series of four
total eclipses to conclude in September 2015.
The phenomenon is known as a tetrad, in which the moon is completely
covered by the earth's umbral shadow for four eclipses in a row, as
opposed to only partial eclipses that fall in the outer penumbra. But
rather than succumbing to complete darkness, the moon will glow red as
it receives the refracted light that spills over the Earth's
circumference.
The series is a rare occurrence in history, with large spans of time,
such as the 300 years between 1600 and 1900, witnessing none. But the
21st century will be more promising, according to Fred Espenak, who
works for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and specializes in eclipse predictions.
"Frequency sort of goes through 585-year cycles," the astrophysicist
explains. "So you go through centuries where you don’t have any, and
centuries where you have a number of them."
The next tetrad will begin in 2032.
Other factors add to the singularity of this year’s event. For one,
North America will have front-row seats to the show, not always a
guarantee. It just so happens that this part of the western hemisphere,
along with some of South America, will align perfectly with the cast
shadow.
The rest of the world, on the other hand, will experience partial
visibility or none at all.
But while the event is sure to be a breathtaking sight, for some it
signals a certain foreboding. "Something is about to change," Pastor
John Hagee of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, writes in
his newest book on the four blood moons.
Because many biblical references cite the celestial bodies, Hagee says,
"God uses the sun, moon and stars to send signals to us on the earth."
Among his most inspirational verses is Joel 2:30-31: "And I will show
wonders in the heavens ... the sun shall be turned into darkness and the
moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of The
Lord."
To catch the moon at its bloodiest (with the naked eye but weather
permitting), spectators should look up at 3:07 a.m. when it is entirely
covered by the earth's shadow.
Total Lunar Eclipse
Image Credit: NASA Ames Research Center/Brian Day
The United States
was in a prime orbital position and time of day to view the eclipse on
April 15, 2014. Depending on local weather conditions, the public got a
spectacular view looking into the sky as the moon's appearance changed
from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and perhaps gray. The
eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in
perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth's shadow. The United
States, in its entirety, will not be able to witness a full lunar
eclipse again until 2019. This image was taken in San Jose, Calif.
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