Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse Is Coming Later This Month (usatoday.com)

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Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse Is Coming Later This Month (usatoday.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Friday January 4, 2019 @07:00PM from the look-out dept.

The "super blood wolf moon eclipse" is coming to a sky near you later this month. "The total lunar eclipse will start late on Sunday, Jan. 20 and finish early on Monday, Jan. 21," reports USA Today. Slashdot reader Zorro shares the report: Total lunar eclipse: A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth, according to NASA. When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon's surface, Earth's shadow falls on it. Starting at 9:36 p.m. EST Jan. 20, skywatchers will notice a "little notch is taken out of the moon," according to Brian Murphy, director of Indiana's Holcomb Observatory & Planetarium and Butler University professor. At 10:34 p.m., it moves into a partial eclipse, and starting at 11:41 p.m., the full eclipse begins; a maximum eclipse occurs at 12:12 a.m. Jan. 21. The total eclipse ends at 12:44 a.m.

Supermoon: A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit to the Earth (perigee). That makes the moon look extra-close and extra bright -- up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest point from Earth, known as the apogee, NASA said. This is the first of three supermoons in 2019. The others will be on Feb. 19 and March 21. Of these, the Feb. 19 full moon will be the closest and largest full supermoon of 2019.

"Blood" moon: That is just the reddish color the moon will appear during the total lunar eclipse.

"Wolf" moon: According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Native Americans called the January full moon the "wolf" moon because it appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.

66 comments

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Nice Summary There by mentil · 2019-01-04 19:04 · Score: 2

This summary brought to you by Wolf-ram Alpha (leader of the search engine pack).

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Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
1. Re:Nice Summary There by ShanghaiBill · 2019-01-04 19:30 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The summary is not so nice, because it left out an important detail: Where the eclipse will be visible.
  The eclipse will be visible throughout North America, most of South America, and just before dawn in Western Europe and Northwest Africa.
2. Re: Nice Summary There by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 19:49 · Score: 0
  
  This message approved by Wolfram and Heart.
3. Re:Nice Summary There by Joce640k · 2019-01-04 21:36 · Score: 1
  
  It's almost as if you don't know Slashdot charges money for the links in the summaries.
  Information? Waaaay down the list of priorities.
  
  --
  No sig today...
4. Re: Nice Summary There by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 23:39 · Score: 0
  
  I better get my telescope ready
5. Re:Nice Summary There by Layzej · 2019-01-05 00:28 · Score: 1
  
  The summary is not so nice, because it left out an important detail: Where the eclipse will be visible.
  That, and the small fact that this is (reportedly) another harbinger of the end times. CBN has the Christian perspective: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cw...
6. Re: Nice Summary There by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 01:40 · Score: 0
  
  Why does the Christian Broadcasting Network have an onion in their logo?
7. Re:Nice Summary There by SpankiMonki · 2019-01-05 02:36 · Score: 2
  
  The summary is not so nice, because it left out an important detail:
  It also links to the wrong "Old Farmer's Almanac" description. Proper link here.
8. Re:Nice Summary There by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 03:17 · Score: 0
  
  Women are like wolves. If you want a wolf, you have to trap it. Snare it. Then to keep it happy, you have to tame it. Feed it, care for it. Lovingly. The way an animal deserves to be loved. And my animal deserves a lot of loving.
  Dwight
9. Re:Nice Summary There by Scarletdown · 2019-01-05 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  Those superstitious nutjobs sure have provided plenty of hilarious amusement over the past century or so.
  
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  This space unintentionally left blank.
10. Re:Nice Summary There by RockDoctor · 2019-01-06 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  Do you have some evidence to support this assertion?
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
11. Re:Nice Summary There by RockDoctor · 2019-01-06 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  As an ordained minister of the Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (May Sauce Be Upon Her Meaty Balls), my interpretation of this is that it is a sign of the Start Times - in that all over the world Pastafarians of distinction will use this celestial phenomenon as an excuse to START a good party. Pirate regalia recommended but not required. Idiotic Christianity guns and hard drugs to be left at home, thanks. Enjoyment and hangovers hoped for to celebrate the holy hangover which lead to the FSM(MSBUHMB) creating the universe.
  Ramen!
  (I bet my prediction has more truth in it than your Christian "End Times" prophecy.)
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
12. Re: Nice Summary There by Kyr+Arvin · 2019-01-07 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  Why does the Christian Broadcasting Network have an onion in their logo?
  Because when they were founded by old grandpa, that was the style at the time.
Stacking terms by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 19:13 · Score: 1

This seems to be more about stacking as many terms that make the eclipse extra super special than about the capacity to be impressed by the beauty of an eclipse itself.
1. Re:Stacking terms by Kyr+Arvin · 2019-01-07 08:29 · Score: 1
  
  This seems to be more about stacking as many terms that make the eclipse extra super special than about the capacity to be impressed by the beauty of an eclipse itself.
  They learned well from the Japanese. This title could have been any anime vampire show.
In a lunar eclipse by rossdee · 2019-01-04 19:32 · Score: 2

There ia no dark side of the moon really
matter of fact its all dark
1. Re:In a lunar eclipse by istartedi · 2019-01-05 10:10 · Score: 1
  
  Sort of. There's just no full Sunlight. On the Moon it's a Solar eclipse, and not only do you get the corona you also get the Earth's atmosphere making a sunset circle. It must be quite a show. Instead of a crisp diamond ring, you get a sunset burst at the beginning and end. Imagine being one of the first residents of a permanent Lunar base to witness this event.
  
  --
  For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
WTF? by Tablizer · 2019-01-04 19:45 · Score: 1, Flamebait

Did Trump name this or what?

--
Table-ized A.I.
1. Re:WTF? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 20:05 · Score: 0
  
  Super Mega Family Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse... Clan.
2. Re:WTF? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 20:20 · Score: 0
  
  Behold the most luxurious, aggravated Jacobians and Edwardians running around the streets, gold plated and towering, while the super blood wolf moon eclipse lasts. Prepare for crushed hearts, cars and marital beds, splatted baseballs and wolf hair all over.
3. Re:WTF? by Opportunist · 2019-01-06 22:58 · Score: 1
  
  He sure wouldn't have with the old Twitter character limit.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Nah. by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 20:35 · Score: 0

Degenerate furry libs. SUPER BLOOD WOLF owo what's this
1. Re:Nah. by Tablizer · 2019-01-05 17:23 · Score: 1
  
  Degenerate furry libs.
  Furry? I am on the hairy side, but I didn't know that was a common political insult.
  
  --
  Table-ized A.I.
Supermoons are marketing hype by jaa101 · 2019-01-04 20:35 · Score: 1

Supermoon: A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit to the Earth (perigee).
This part is lame. The eclipse ends at 07:51 UTC but perigee (closest approach) is over twelve hours later at 19:59 UTC. So who decides the arbitrary definition of how close to perigee the eclipse has to be before it's a "supermoon eclipse"? The only definition I'd be happy with would be one where perigee occurs between the beginning and end of the eclipse, either total (2nd to 3rd contact) or partial (1st to 4th contact). With the definition they're using, requiring only being within 90% of the closest distance, over a quarter of full moons, and therefore over a quarter of lunar eclipses are called supermoons. When did astronomers go in so heavily for marketing?
1. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by bruce_the_loon · 2019-01-04 21:08 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Astronomy media sites go for the supermoon, blood moon etc crud to drive clicks. Actual looking-at-the-sky-from-the-top-of-mountains astronomers cringe when we hear these terms.
  
  --
  Trying to become famous by taking photos. Visit my homepage please.
2. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by Lanthanide · 2019-01-04 21:20 · Score: 1
  
  Only that part?
  Bloodmoon + Eclipse is redundant since they describe the same thing.
  Wolf moon is also stupid, since it's not actually anything astronomical at all, just a name some culture gave a moon in a particular month - of which there will be one every year anyway. Big deal.
3. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by alzoron · 2019-01-04 21:38 · Score: 1
  
  It's close enough. The only thing that's important about super moon eclipses is how awesome they look and there's no real perceptual difference between an eclipse 12 hours before apogee and the exact moment of perigee.
4. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 21:39 · Score: 0
  
  [...] culture [...]
  Why you so racist?
5. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by Ecuador · 2019-01-05 00:00 · Score: 1
  
  It is not astronomers, but media that do that. Even amateur astronomers like myself only use the term with some sort of quotes as it feels a bit cringy... For example check my (not bad if I may say so) "Supermoon" HD timelapse, where I have added the search terms "supermoon" and "blood moon" since that is what people use due to media, although a big chunk of eclipses are "supermoons" and it doesn't really make a big difference, while "blood moon" is also a cringy term as far as astronomers are concerned, but it describes a nice eclipse where the moon stays a deep red.
  That said, if you get a deep red eclipsed moon, the best way to appreciate it is through binoculars.
  
  --
  Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
6. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by religionofpeas · 2019-01-05 02:48 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  You should ask Neil deGrasse Tyson for his thoughts on the matter.
7. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by reboot246 · 2019-01-05 04:20 · Score: 1
  
  I looked at some of the videos on your YouTube channel. The job you did with those jpgs on the Orion Nebula was quite impressive. Good work!
  
  I find myself using by binoculars more often than I use my telescopes. My job requires a lot of traveling and it's impractical to lug one of my telescopes with me. The binoculars I carry with me are 10x50. They're small enough to not take up too much room amongst all my other baggage, but it's amazing what you can see with them..
  
  This time I'll be at home the night of the eclipse with a day off the next day. I have a pair of 15x70s binoculars that I use on a tripod. The moon always looks good using them.
  
  I promise I won't buy any new gear between now and then. Buying anything astronomy related causes clouds.
8. Re:Supermoons are marketing hype by NikeHerc · 2019-01-06 03:58 · Score: 1
  
  Why you so racist?
  
  He isn't a racist, you insensitive clod. He's a chemist.
  
  --
  Circle the wagons and fire inward. Entropy increases without bounds.
The writer must have cum his pants by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 20:41 · Score: 0

Writing this crap headline.
please quick slashdot and go back to tabloids!!
I feel like I'm playing World of Warcraft! by cyn1c77 · 2019-01-04 21:03 · Score: 5, Funny

These names are getting ridiculous.
1. Re:I feel like I'm playing World of Warcraft! by nine-times · 2019-01-05 05:41 · Score: 2
  
  It's also just a nonsense fad created by news organizations so they can have a meaningless fluff story that old boring people can get excited about.
  Nobody talked about "super moons" until a couple of years ago, when there was (at least according to the news) some alignment of factors that would cause the moon to appear larger than it had in... like... thousands of years. Ok, cool, that's kind of interesting. A lot of people got excited, and reporters just love talking about it.
  Suddenly they started talking about the "super moon" every few months. Ok, so it's not an uncommon occurrence, then? It's just a full moon when the moon is near its apogee? That's pretty meaningless. So now they have to invent some other reason why the moon is in some rare alignment. "Oh, it's a super-moon *and* a lunar eclipse!" Ok, I guess that's a little more interesting. "Oh, it's a super-moon *and* Jupiter is in retrograde!" Is that interesting? I don't know. "Oh, it's a super-moon *and* a lunar eclipse *and* a blood moon!" Wait, so a 'blood moon' is when there's an eclipse...? So isn't every super-moon during a lunar eclipse also a blood moon?
  Next they'll invent a term like "super-ultra moon" for when there's a super-moon without an eclipse. "It's amazing how bright and white it is when there's no eclipse! It's ultra!" And then they'll start inventing terms for a new moon at apogee, or a waning moon halfway between apogee and perigee, or a waxing moon three-quarters of the way to apogee. That way the weatherman can get all excited every night because, "Oh my god, we now have a semi-ultra micro-waxing extra-gravy moon! That only happens every goddamn month!"
It should be Wolf-Blood Supermoon by h33t+l4x0r · 2019-01-04 21:23 · Score: 1

And I would buy a t-shirt.
1. Re:It should be Wolf-Blood Supermoon by Aighearach · 2019-01-04 22:20 · Score: 1
  
  Three Wolf-Blood Supermoon
2. Re:It should be Wolf-Blood Supermoon by h33t+l4x0r · 2019-01-05 00:21 · Score: 1
  
  Fucking-A right.
3. Re:It should be Wolf-Blood Supermoon by Opportunist · 2019-01-06 22:59 · Score: 1
  
  That would be a cool name for a rock band.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
It should also be blue. by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 22:30 · Score: 0

Why isn't it blue?
1. Re: It should also be blue. by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-04 23:52 · Score: 0
  
  And with a donkey logo. Then we call it Shrieking Congresswoman PMS blue blood moon.
2. Re: It should also be blue. by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 00:07 · Score: 0
  
  Idiot. Blood moons are never blue
3. Re: It should also be blue. by pjt33 · 2019-01-05 02:48 · Score: 1
  
  Are you saying that the man in the moon isn't an aristocrat?
4. Re:It should also be blue. by HiThere · 2019-01-05 05:18 · Score: 2
  
  A blue moon is the second full moon in a particular month. I don't know why it's called that. They aren't really that rare, but it's a bit less frequent than once in 2 3/4 years.
  Now a wolf moon happens once/year, so a blue wolf moon would happen about 1/12th as often..say once in 33 years.
  How often a blood moon happens is (as shown above) a matter of argument, but it's a lot less than once per year, so a blue blood wolf moon would happen less than once in a life-time. (With a very liberal definition of "blood moon" I still get a lot less than once in 300 years.)
  
  --
  
  I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
5. Re:It should also be blue. by Opportunist · 2019-01-06 23:00 · Score: 1
  
  Because we had one in January and March last year. And considering that they happen like once in 3 years, it's kinda impossible to happen this year.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
oblig xkcd by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 00:17 · Score: 0

https://xkcd.com/1880/
According to NASA... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 00:53 · Score: 0

So what is an eclipse actually according to anyone else? What a really odd phrasing. Are we still in doubt about eclipses?
Super Blood Wolf Moon by Ronin441 · 2019-01-05 01:29 · Score: 1

I can't wait for next month's Ultra Hydra Blue Leopard Moon!
Warhammer 40,000 by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 01:47 · Score: 0

Sounds like a faction of space orks
What a name! by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 02:16 · Score: 0

Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse sounds like an upcoming anime or something.
Nice, but I think I'll wait for... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 02:18 · Score: 0

Nice ! But I think I'll wait for the Super Virgin Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse Deluxe.
Should be well worth the wait.
Nooooo! Wait! by mark_reh · 2019-01-05 02:44 · Score: 1

It's going to take at least 3 more weeks for my "3 wolf moon" tee-shirt to arrive. I can't be seen at a super blood wolf moon eclipse party without it!
Great name for a band by cascadingstylesheet · 2019-01-05 02:52 · Score: 2

Great name for a band. Yes, the whole thing, "Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse Is Coming Later This Month" :)
Super Blood Wolf Moon... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 03:07 · Score: 0

sounds like a name-mangled Japanese anime.
Total Solar Eclipse July 2 2019 by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 03:31 · Score: 0

What's that red?
It has blood on it!
My Pendulum is wandering
NASA looks, buries the data
For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion(operation of wandering)(planet) so that they will believe the lie.
Super Bloodwolf Lunar Eclipse by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 04:52 · Score: 0

...to follow the correct Trochee pattern.
https://xkcd.com/856/
1. Re:Super Bloodwolf Lunar Eclipse by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 07:53 · Score: 0
  
  Ah, so much better.
  De-tec-tive
  Pi-ka-chu
2. Re:Super Bloodwolf Lunar Eclipse by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 10:28 · Score: 0
  
  Logic behind the madness:
  https://xkcd.com/1412/
Just stop by SmaryJerry · 2019-01-05 05:12 · Score: 1

Every new full moon with an exaggerated name is just s boring as the last full moon. People make it seem huge by taking photos from miles away and using a large zoom but in person it is always just the same size to the naked eye. Please just stop these worthless articles.
Gosh! Golly! Gee whiz! by spaceyhackerlady · 2019-01-05 06:25 · Score: 1

Every time somebody describes a lunar eclipse as a blood moon a puppy dies.
...laura
*Sigh* by DerekLyons · 2019-01-05 06:30 · Score: 1

Super Blood Wolf Moon?' Now We're Just Making Shit Up
Seriously - the "Super Blood Wolf Moon" is bullshit. Not science. Not News for Nerds. (The idea of a "Super Moon" was invented by an astrologer for $DIETY's sake!)
Eclipse by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 09:46 · Score: 0

I thought they normally released in June rather than January.
Europa (2007)
Ganymede (2008)
Galileo (2009)
Helios (2010)
Indigo (2011)
Juno (2012)
Kepler (2013)
Luna (2014)
Mars (2015)
Neon (2016)
Oxygen (2017)
Photon (2018)
Super Blood Wolf Moon (2019)
Scientainment by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-05 10:20 · Score: 0

It is not "science", not even close to one, but involves slapping a lot of parasite words on simple things. The 'Murikah, fuck yeah! way, remove the point, add bullshit marketing.
Cannot wait for April, 2029 by Existential+Wombat · 2019-01-05 11:34 · Score: 1

Super Blood Wolf Moon?' Now We're Just Making Shit Up
Seriously - the "Super Blood Wolf Moon" is bullshit. Not science. Not News for Nerds. (The idea of a "Super Moon" was invented by an astrologer for $DIETY's sake!)
This is the next chance to see something really rare. a full moon with no adjectives whatsoever!
No Blood, Silver, Wolf, Super, Mega, Harvest, Pink, Ultra Blue or even Wombat Moon.
I think it’s being labelled as a ‘Normal’ moon.
no subject by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-07 05:49 · Score: 0

Better get those Three Super Blood Wolf Moon t-shirts purchased in time for the big event.