Are you ready for the next full moon—the last of the summer? Well, you better buckle up, because it’s not just any ordinary full moon. In fact, it’s a Blood Moon, aka a lunar eclipse. This event gets its name from the reddish hues of the Moon that result from the eclipse.
The upcoming lunar eclipse is considered partial, but about 96% of the Moon’s surface will reflect reddish/copper hues. According to NASA, a partial lunar eclipse is “an imperfect alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon results in the Moon passing through only part of Earth’s umbra. The shadow grows and then recedes without ever entirely covering the Moon.”
Additionally, August’s full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon. As the Old Farmer’s Almanac reports, “The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time, the lake sturgeon were quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.”
Interested in viewing the Blood Moon in all its copper glory? Here’s how to witness it—and what to expect.
What Is a Blood Moon?
Before we get into viewing opportunities, let’s first explore the concept of a Blood Moon…
A Blood Moon refers to the reddish or copper color the Moon projects during a lunar eclipse. This astronomical event occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon. In doing so, it blocks and filters sunlight on the Moon’s surface.
“The same phenomenon that makes our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn reddish-orange during a lunar eclipse,” NASA reports. “Sunlight appears white, but it actually contains a rainbow of components—and different colors of light have different physical properties. Blue light scatters relatively easily as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere. Reddish light, on the other hand, travels more directly through the air.”
“During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears red or orange because any sunlight that’s not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface,” NASA continues. “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon.”
In this case, 96% of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s umbral shadow, making it appear nearly total.
August’s Full Blood Moon
On August 28 (depending on your location), the Blood Moon will peak at around 12:18 a.m. EDT. Night owls might be able to spot the Moon’s reddish color as it rises in the sky late in the evening of the 27th and during the early morning hours of the 28th, weather permitting.
According to NASA, this partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, Africa, and the Americas. However, for the southern tropics, the eclipse will be almost total, potentially showing more of that reddish color. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.
What better way to celebrate the end of August and the last Full Moon of the summer?
The post A Blood Moon Is Coming This Week: Here’s When and How to See It appeared first on VICE.
