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First Blue Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in 150 Years Coming This Month (space.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

An anonymous reader writes, citing a report: The first eclipse of 2018 will be a lunar one that comes at the very end of the month, on Jan. 31. It will be a total eclipse that involves the second full moon of the month, popularly referred to as a Blue Moon. Such a skywatching event hasn't happened for more than 150 years. The eclipse will take place during the middle of the night, and the Pacific Ocean will be turned toward the moon at the time. Central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand and most of Australia will get a fine view of this moon show in the evening sky. Heading farther west into western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the eclipse will already be underway as the moon rises.

4 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. Not a blue moon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is only a âblue moonâ(TM) if you misunderstand what this term means, or trying to make up some story. Go and read Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon

    The next blue moon will be 18/05/2019.

    1. Re:Not a blue moon by darthsilun · · Score: 4, Informative

      This is only a 'blue moon') if you misunderstand what this term means, or trying to make up some story. Go and read Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...

      The next blue moon will be 18/05/2019.

      This is the two-full-moons-in-one-month Blue Moon. That's what's happening on Jan 31st.

      The original definition, AIUI, is third full moon in a season with four full moons. Usually there are only three full moons in a season. (A season being the period of time between a solstice and an equinox, or between an equinox and a solstice.) That's the kind of blue moon that's happening on 18 May, 2019.

  2. Re:MODERATION IS CENSORSHIP by phantomfive · · Score: 2, Informative

    Your point would be more convincing, but on Slashdot moderation doesn't actually get rid of any of the comments. They're all still there for anyone who wants to read wild, untamed rants.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  3. clearer by supernova87a · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just to be clear, there's nothing physically significant or different about a "blue moon". It's just a calendar thing where the moon appearing full (every 28 days) happened to fall twice within 31 days of a calendar month. "THIS IS A ONCE IN A 150 YEAR EVENT!" is kind of a dumb thing to emphasize (but I guess if it gets people to watch who didn't know before, then I suppose it's worth something, if a little "markety"). A blue moon happens every single month with *some* phase of the moon...

    And the statement, "... The eclipse will take place during the middle of the night..." is kind of a no-brainer. *Every* astronomical event takes place during the middle of the night on Earth somewhere! Maybe it could've been more informatively stated "since lunar eclipses are only visible to the parts of of the Earth facing towards the moon and away from the sun, people in Asia, Hawaii, Australia, India, etc. will get the best view."