Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors
  3. Guides

How to watch this morning’s ‘super blue blood moon,’ and what you need to know

Luke Dormehl
By

Have you heard people talking about a “super blue blood moon” and found yourself wondering what all the fuss is about? Well wonder no longer! Here’s everything you need to know about the once-in-a-lifetime event coming to a sky near you (weather permitting) this week.

What on Earth is a Super Blue Blood Moon?

It may sound like the name of a badly translated Japanese arcade game, but it’s actually an incredibly rare lunar event in which a total lunar eclipse occurs with a blue moon, a.k.a. an extra full moon which takes place due to a quirk of the calendar.

Related Videos

Confusingly, the term “blue moon” doesn’t actually mean a moon that’s blue, but rather a rare case (which happens around every 2.7 years) in which there are two full moons in one calendar month. A “blood moon,” however, does refer to a red moon, since it involves a total lunar eclipse, which makes the moon appear a reddish color, thanks to scattered light from the sun.

NASA
NASA

As for the “super” bit? That refers to the fact that the moon is slightly closer to Earth than normal and therefore appears bigger in the sky and around 14 percent brighter. Add all of that lunar awesomeness up and you get a super blue blood moon.

This sounds pretty uncommon.

You can say that again! We’ve covered the fact that a blue moon takes place approximately every 2.7 years (and that’s apparently enough to get it considered rare enough for its own “once in a blue moon” expression.)

A super blue blood moon is rarer than a deck of mint condition Charizard cards, though. The last time all three elements came together in the Western hemisphere was in 1866, back when Andrew Johnson was President and Tennessee became the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War. Needless to say, you’re probably not going to see another of these.

Okay, I’m sold. When does this it take place and how do I watch it?

It takes place later this week just before sunrise on Wednesday, January 31. Depending on where you are, you’ll be able to see it at different times. If you live in Washington, DC, it’ll be visible at approximately 7.15am EST, in New York, NY it’s 7.06am EST, in Chicago, IL it’s 7.06am CST, in Kansas City, MO it’s 7.28am CST, in Denver, CO it’s 7.12am MST, in Phoenix, AZ it’s 7.29am MST, in Los Angeles, CA it’s 6.57am PST, and in Seattle, WA it’s 7.44am PST.

super-blue-blood-moon-lunar-eclipse-times
NASA
NASA

The best places to watch it in North America are apparently California and western Canada. It will also be visible during moonrise on January 31 in Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Australia. Don’t worry if you can’t see it too well (or at all), however, because NASA and Virtual Telescope will be handily livestreaming the event here. Needless to say, that didn’t happen in 1866.

Is it safe to look at?

It is indeed. Unlike a solar eclipse, you can check out the super blue blood moon in all its glory with no protective eyewear necessary. Enjoy!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Revamped photo of ‘Pale Blue Dot’ reminds us how small we are
revamped photo of the earth reminds us how small we are pale blue dot

A famous photo taken of the Earth has been revamped with today's technology to give humans a better look at how small we really are within this vast universe. 

“Pale Blue Dot” was taken by the Voyager mission 30 years ago, on February 14, 1990, but the updated version used modern-day image-processing software to show the Earth in the context of its universe.

Read more
NASA hasn’t been to the moon in almost 50 years. Now, it’s going back annually
2020 tech trends for the decade nasa artemis moon mission

NASA hasn’t been to the moon since 1972, but starting in 2021, the agency plans to make trips to the moon every year through 2030. 

The space agency laid out the plans in its Budget Estimates document for 2021. The first Artemis mission would be in 2021, but it would be uncrewed. Then, in 2022, a test crew flight will happen, followed by the Gateway space station, which is an outpost that would orbit the moon.

Read more
How to watch the launch of the ESA and NASA Solar Orbiter on Sunday
An illuratrion of ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Solar Orbiter spacecraft

ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft is shown in an illustration against the backdrop of an image of the sun captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Solar Orbiter will capture the very first images of the sun’s polar regions. These images will provide key insights into the poorly-understood magnetic environment there, which helps drive the sun’s 11-year cycle and its periodic outpouring of solar storms. ESA/ATG MediaLab/NASA

On Sunday night, a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch the Solar Orbiter from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft will image the surface of the sun, coming closer to the star than any European satellite has before.

Read more