Howling at the Moon

Tonight is the eclipse of a Super Blood Wolf Moon. If you’re in the continental U.S. you should be able to see it if your skies are clear.

So what the heck is a Super Blood Wolf Moon? Well a Super Moon is when the moon is at the closest point to earth during its orbit.

Okay, so we’ve got the “super” part covered. What makes it a “blood” moon? The name references the color of the moon as it appears a coppery or reddish color as it passes through the Earth’s shadow which will filter out the blue colors and provide us with the reddish color.

That takes are of the “blood” part, now what the heck is a wolf moon? Well, that it a little less scientific. Historically, the people of North America kept their calendars based in the lunar cycles, not the the solar cycle we use today. So the first, full moon in January was referred to as the wolf moon, because of the wolves howling at the full moon. One might assume that in the winter months if it were cold and other animals were hibernating the wolves may have been a little hungry.

So there you it, the eclipse of a Super Blood Wolf Moon. So download the sky view app for your phone, or just hang out outside and watch the show, no special equipment needed. Enjoy.