Eclipse 2019: why is this supermoon in january a huge deal?

The Supermoon will peak in the early morning hours of January 21, 2019, around 5.13am UK time (UTC). Unlike the last Supermoon eclipse which appeared over the Eastern Hemisphere on July 27

this year, the January eclipse will predominantly feature in the west. This means stargazers in North and South America will have a chance to catch a glimpse of the spectacular spectacle of

astronomy. But there is another reason why this Supermoon eclipse has so much interest surrounding it – it will be a Super Blood Moon eclipse. Super Blood Moon eclipses are a very rare

combination of three events, which are already mesmerising in their own rights. The Super Blood Moon combines a total lunar eclipse, a Blood Moon and a Supermoon event all in one package.

WHAT IS A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE? A total lunar eclipse is a phenomenon which occurs when the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are perfectly aligned. According to space agency NASA, the alignment

blankets the Moon in the Earth’s shadow. Total eclipses happen when the Moon passes through the centre of the Earth’s darkest shadow, known as the umbra. READ MORE: WHY DO CHRISTIANS FEAR

THE BLOOD MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE NEXT MONTH? In January, this period totality is expected to last one hour and two minutes. NASA said: “Lunar eclipses occur about two to four times per year, 

when the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. “In order to see a lunar eclipse, you must be on the night side of the Earth, facing the Moon, when the Earth passes in between the Moon and the

Sun.” WHAT IS A BLOOD MOON? When the Moon enters the Earth’s darkest shadow it seemingly disappears from sight but rather than stay hidden, a peculiar light trick paints the Moon a deep red

hue. NASA explained: “When the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow, it turns red. “This happens for the exact same reason that our sunrises and sunsets here on Earth are brilliant shades of

pinks and oranges. “During a lunar eclipse, the only light reaching the Moon passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. “The bluer, shorter wavelength light scatters and the longer wavelength

red light passes through and makes it to the Moon.” The effect is known as Rayleigh Scattering and is also responsible for the blue colour of some eyes. WHAT IS A SUPERMOON? When the Moon

approaches within 10 percent of its closest possible distance to Earth, its point of perigee, it is said to be a Supermoon. On the night of the Supermoon, keen observers might notice the

lunar orb looks brighter and larger than usual. According to NASA, some of the best Supermoons can be up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter. The space agency said: “Full Moons can

occur at any point along the Moon’s elliptical path, but when a Full Moon occurs at or near the perigee, it looks slightly larger and brighter than a typical Full Moon. “That’s what the term

‘Supermoon’ refers to.”