Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,053
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Love 'em !

Valued Contributor
Posts: 610
Registered: ‎08-06-2012

 

The January Full Moon is known in many cultures as the Full Wolf Moon, which is appropriate given the deep, ancient ties between wolves and January’s full moon. For instance, the Gaelic word for January, Faoilleach, comes from the term for wolves, faol-chù, even though wolves haven’t existed in Scotland for centuries.

 

~ moongiant

~ To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Remain Silent ~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,397
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@SharkE.  Yep, we had wind gusts up to 52mph this afternoon and is still blowing a bit.  We had rain this morning.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Excited about this total lunar eclipse...I've had it on my calendar for some time.  @SharkE  spectacular photo, thanks for sharing and reminding everyone about this special event.

 

 

 

"During totality, the full moon does not disappear entirely and instead turns a rusty shade of red, earning it the moniker “blood moon.” This lunar eclipse happens to coincide with the wolf moon, the traditional name for the January full moon. What's more, the moon on January 20 will be unusually close to Earth and so will be slightly bigger and brighter, sky-watchers across the Americas will have a front-row seat to a rare cosmic event, as three lunar phenomena converge to give rise to what some people are calling a super blood wolf moon. While that may sound like a song straight out of a 1970s rock opera, it’s actually a term for a type of total lunar eclipse.

 
What happens during a total lunar eclipse? 
 In a lunar eclipse, Earth casts a shadow on the moon. This doesn't happen every time the moon makes its monthly trek, though; the moon's orbit is tilted, so it usually glides above or below Earth's cone-shaped shadow.

Total lunar eclipses are even more rare. They happen only during a full moon, and only when the sun, Earth, and moon are precisely aligned so that the darkest part of our planet's shadow completely blankets the lunar disk. This usually happens twice a year, on average, and each total eclipse can be seen from only one hemisphere of Earth. 

What makes the moon turn red?

During the total eclipse, sunlight shining through Earth's dusty atmosphere is bent, or refracted, toward the red part of the spectrum before it’s cast onto the moon's surface. As a result, expect to see the lunar disk go from a dark gray color during the partial phase of the eclipse to a reddish-orange color during totality.

The moon's color during totality can vary considerably depending on the amount of dust in the atmosphere at the time. Active volcanoes spewing tons of ash into the upper atmosphere, for instance, can trigger deep blood-red eclipses. However, no one can predict exactly what color we'll see before each eclipse.

Why is it also a super wolf moon?

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Native Americans and colonial Europeans dubbed the January full moon the wolf moon, because wolves in the region would purportedly start howling in hunger due to midwinter paucity. 

 

The January supermoon also happens to kick off a triad of supermoons in 2019, with the next ones arriving on February 19 and March 21.

 
 
 
 
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,589
Registered: ‎04-18-2010

@sidsmom wrote:

I think we are ‘Over Mooned’.

Seems like these once-in-a-lifetime moons happen every month.

We’ve had more & more special moons in the last 5~Years.

Seems that way....


Never!  I have always been obsessed with moon watching.  It is on my list of what I will miss when life is no more. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,589
Registered: ‎04-18-2010

I enjoyed 18 months of moon viewing while living in NM with almost always clear skies.  Now back in NY....it is hit and miss but always special.  This weekend..."big storm" so probably no visibility. Smiley Sad

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,105
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

If you ever play "Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild" you'll find Blood Moons happening way, way too frequently. In that game all of the enemies you've killed in the game get reborn after a Blood Moon. "The Blood Moon rises once again. Please be careful Link" gets heard way, way too frequently in the game. In fact, you'll hear it once or twice each time you play the game.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

@avid shopper wrote:

@sidsmom wrote:

I think we are ‘Over Mooned’.

Seems like these once-in-a-lifetime moons happen every month.

We’ve had more & more special moons in the last 5~Years.

Seems that way....


Never!  I have always been obsessed with moon watching.  It is on my list of what I will miss when life is no more. 


Don’t get me wrong...I love the moon, but it just seems there’s

are so many official ‘once in a lifetime’ type of moon events

happening all the time.  Just seems weird...if it’s that unusual,

why are they happening all the time?  Don’t understand. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,053
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

I don't over think it LOL

Sit back and enjoy the free show, don't have to drive to get there, can stay in my pj's and not fight others for good spot to view. All I have to do is stay awake , get my camera ready and look up.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,053
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Tonights the night !