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By Miriam Raftery
January 29, 2018 (San Diego) – What’s rarer than once in a blue moon? A “super blood blue moon” that will be visible shortly before sunrise early Wednesday morning.
The rare astronomical event is actually a full lunar eclipse, with the moon in the shadow of the earth for a “blood moon” effect, meaning the moon will appear reddish-orange. This blood moon is combined with a “supermoon” that is the closest point in the moon’s orbit to the earth, making it appear to loom large on the horizon.
In addition, this is the second full moon in a month, an occurrence known as a blue moon for its rarity, not color.
The partial eclipse will be visible locally starting at 3:48 a.m., with the total eclipse at 4:51 a.m., peaking at 5:29 a.m. The eclipse will end at 6:07 a.m., according to NASA, with the moon just 10 degrees above the western horizon.
The forecast is for clear viewing, if you’d like to enjoy this astronomical spectacle.
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