The sole lunar eclipse for 2019 is this weekend, and will look larger – and redder -- than usual.
That something extra – a lunar trifecta -- combines a “supermoon,” a “wolf moon,” and a “blood moon” to create a “super blood wolf moon.”
“Super in the sense that the moon is about as close to us and as big in the sky as it can get,” says retired astronomer Wayne Wooten. “Wolf moon – if you were the American Indians in your teepee you would hear the wolves howling outside. Blood moon is because it is going to be in the Earth’s umbra shadow, which generally gives it a very dark red appearance.”
The eclipse begins at 8:36 p.m. Central time on Sunday, when the moon will be directly in Earth’s shadow and lined up with the Sun. Wooten says individually, they’re not such big deals. For instance, there’s a “wolf moon” every year.
“There’s going to be a ‘super moon’ every month; that it happens to fall at full moon is what’s unusual,” said Wooten. “We typically get two or three eclipses every year, but they’re happening for somebody else on the other side of the world. This one, however, is just about perfect for us.”
At around 9:30 p.m. Central, the super blood wolf moon can be viewed across the United States and South America, as well as parts of Europe and Africa.
“When you’ll see the moon moving into the dark edge of the Earth’s umbra shadow; [the] moon will be completely inside our shadow for an hour, from 10:30 to 11:30,” says Wooten. “And out the other side and back to normal full moon by about 12:30 Monday morning.”
The lunar combo will also create a “spring tide” – with very high extremes -- for the Earth’s oceans.
“Because you’ve got the moon close to the Earth; the moon, Earth and sun all lined up,” Wooten says. “So you’re going to have unusually high, high tides this Sunday. A few hours later – because the water’s gotta go somewhere else – unusually low lows.”
And, unlike the solar eclipse in 2017, you can view this with the naked eye. But there are ways to get a better look – including a visit to Pensacola State College’s Planetarium.
“It’s going to be a beautiful spectacle; any optical aid will help,” says Wooten. “Try shooting it through your smart phone, zooming in; use binoculars [and] come join us at the Planetarium. We’ll be using telescopes.”
The weather forecast for Sunday night calls for partly cloudy conditions. If you can’t see it in person, Wooten says the next best thing is online.
“You can get on computer and dial in the ‘total lunar eclipse,’” Wooten says. “I know a bunch of NASA sites, observatories and planetariums are going to be carrying live footage of it where the clouds aren’t in the way.”
“But it is much more awesome if you can see it for yourself.”
The next lunar eclipse visible from here, according to Wooten, isn’t until 2029; the next “super blood wolf moon” is expected in 2037.