January skywatchers are in for a rare treat: a Blue Moon, a total lunar eclipse and a supermoon all in the same month.
A Blue Moon is when two full moons happen in the same calendar month; lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes into Earth’s shadow; and supermoons happen when the moon’s perigee – its closest approach to Earth in a single orbit – coincides with a full moon. In this case, the supermoon also happens to be the day of the lunar eclipse.
The first full moon of January took place on the night of Januay 1st or the morning of January 2nd, depending on your location.
The second full moon and the lunar eclipse will occur on the night of January 31st or the morning of February 1st.
The supermoon will take place on the night of January 30th, which is technically one day before the moon reaches peak fullness, but even NASA is willing to call the event a supermoon nonetheless.
For more information, visit online at www.space.com
