Rare Super Blue Blood Moon lights up the sky
A sight not seen in the U.S. in 150 years happened early Wednesday morning: a super blue blood moon!
Three unique events took place at the same time. So what is a "super blue blood moon"?
1. A "supermoon" occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth along its orbit. This will make the moon appear 14% larger and 30% brighter.
2. A "blue moon" is simply the second full moon in a single calendar month. The first full moon of January happened at the beginning of the year.
3. A "blood moon" refers to the red hue the moon will appear to have as a lunar eclipse happens.
There hasn't been a triple lineup like this since 1982 and the next won't occur until 2037.
Just like the total solar eclipse in the U.S. last August cooled the Earth's surface, a lunar eclipse cools the moon's surface. It's this abrupt cooling - from the heat of direct sunlight to essentially a deep freeze - that researchers will be studying.
Totality lasted more than an hour.