Super Blood Moon this Sunday

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2007, file photo, the moon takes on different orange tones during a lunar eclipse seen from Mexico City. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

Stargazers will be treated to what promises to be a spectacular total lunar eclipse this Sunday evening – weather pending, of course.

Some are calling this weekend’s astronomical event a Super Blood Wolf Moon Total Lunar Eclipse.

Super Moon because the moon is a bit closer to Earth and looks bigger; Wolf Moon is the first full moon of the year; Blood Moon may be regarded as a bad omen by some, but in reality the reddish-orange color is caused by the Sun’s rays bending around the edge of our planet and landing on the lunar surface.

No matter what you call it, Utah State University Physics Professor James Coburn said Cache Valley residents are “in a place where we get to see the whole thing.”

“Things are going to get started a little after 8:30 p.m. when the moon goes into the darkest part of the earth’s shadow,” Coburn explained. “Totality will last for about an hour and then it will start to come out of the other side of the shadow and will get brighter and brighter.”

The moon will return to its full glory by about 11:50 p.m., said Coburn. “It’s something that will last quite a while.”

Coburn said there are no scheduled viewing events at the university because this is something you can watch from the comfort of your own home.

The January eclipse, the only one in 2019, will be seen in its entirety in North and South America, Europe, and western Africa. It will be the last one until May 26, 2021, and the last one visible from the Unites States until May 15-16, 2022.

If there are poor weather conditions on the night of the lunar eclipse, NASA officials recommend visiting the website TimeandDate.com for a feed of the event.

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