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Here's what you need to know about this week's super blue blood moon

Published  January 29, 2018 5:10pm EST
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FOX 5 Atlanta

WASHINGTON - On January 31st from 6:45 a.m. EST until 7:15 a.m. EST a super blue blood moon will be visible in the early morning sky. Here’s what a super blue blood moon is, and why it’s so rare:

  • First, it’s a blue moon. That means it’s the second full moon to occur in the space of one calendar month. Blue moons happen once every three years or so.
  • This blue moon will also be a supermoon. That means it will occur when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth, making it look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon.
  • Finally, this blue supermoon is also a blood moon, named for the orange and red color the moon takes on when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon. The blue supermoon will be visible all night, but it will only become a blood moon for 30 minutes on the morning of January 31st.

Thus, the next full moon will be a super blue blood moon: the first of its kind in more than 150 years.

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