We will be able to view a super moon, blue
moon, and a total lunar eclipse (blood moon) all on the same
night.
The blue moon is the second full moon in a month and the first
full moon showed up on January 1. The full moon (blue moon)
will occur at 8:37 a.m. ET Jan. 31. It is the first blue moon
total lunar eclipse in the US since March 1866.
The lunar eclipse on January 31 will last about 3½ hours from
the beginning of the partial phase at 3:48 a.m. PT until it
ends at 7:12 a.m. PT, from western North America across the
Pacific to eastern Asia. In the United States, the best view
of the eclipse will be along the West Coast. For skywatchers
in the central and eastern US, only a partial eclipse will be
visible.
The full moon will take on a dark, reddish appearance during
the eclipse and is described as a blood moon. This full moon
was also known as the "snow moon" by some Native American
tribes.
A super moon occurs when the full moon is at the closest point
of its orbit to the Earth.