Super Blood Wolf Moon. No, it’s not the name of an Indie horror movie even though it totally sounds like one. On Sunday January 20th, we will be lucky enough to experience this epic and total lunar event, the only one that we will have until 2021, and even then, it’s not guaranteed to line up this exact same way. But first, what exactly is it?

A Super Blood Wolf Moon (try saying that five times fast) is a pretty rare phenomenon and is, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac a total lunar eclipse, in which the moon is completely encompassed in the earth’s shadow as it moves between the sun and the moon, but it’s made up of a trifecta of other events that are happening at the same time, which is where the words “blood,” “super” and “wolf” come in. Unlike a solar eclipse, you won’t need any protective eye gear and can look right at it.

The Almanac also states that the term “blood moon” comes from dark red color that the moon glows when it’s in the Earth’s shadow. When the moon is in total eclipse, it appears red because of how close it is to the sun.

A “super moon,” simply means the full or new Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.

Lastly, “wolf” is a term that originates from Native American tribes and early colonists to define then first full mono the year.

Put all three together and we have the Super Blood Moon!

How and when can we see it?

The partial eclipse will begin at 10:33 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 20, and will take over 3.5 hours to go through all of its phases, National Geographic reports. According to the Almanac, the moon should be visible to everyone in the Western Hemisphere, but if it’s a cloudy night, people may not be able to see the transformation well.

During the first hour, the Moon will go through different phases, turning orange and red — almost resembling Mars, the Almanac reports.

At 11:41 p.m. EST, totality begins, meaning that the moon should give off the dark red glow it’s famous for, but that can vary based on the atmospheric conditions and may appear in the sky as dark gray with the moon “barely visible.”

The eclipse will last until 12:44 a.m. EST on Monday, January 21, 2019.

I don’t know about you guys, but this is something I absolutely want to see and I think you guys will too! Grab a blanket, get outside, let your eyes cruise upwards towards the heavens and bask in the glory of his creation.

Warmly,

Kristi Harden