On January 31, 2018, it was the first time in 35 years that a blue moon synced up with a super moon and a total lunar eclipse, or blood moon because of its red hue. A blue moon is a full moon that occurs a second time in the same calendar month, while blood moon is the name we give to the moon during an eclipse. The red /orange appearance is caused by the light filtering and bending properties of our atmosphere. The "super moon" applies when the moon appears bigger because it is closer than normal to the Earth. NASA is calling it a lunar trifecta: The first super blue blood moon since 1982. That combination won't happen again until 2037.
We had a cloudy day in Melbourne on the 31st, and people were disappointed that we would be unable to watch the eclipse. In the evening, however, the sky cleared and lo and behold, the super blue blood moon did indeed appear and it did not disappoint!
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme.
