This month will be a treat for anyone paying attention to the night sky, as experts say a special lunar eclipse will occur this week. According to NASA, a “Blood Moon” appears during the event of a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse happens whenever the moon is aligned with the Earth in the opposite direction of the sun, leaving the Earth in between them.
The reason why the moon turns red is because of how the sun’s light illuminates through our atmosphere. Short wavelengths of blue are scattered across the planet, which is why the sky is blue. However, longer wavelength colors like red instead bend around the atmosphere and pass into the Earth’s shadow. Due to the moon’s location, it will appear with a reddish hue, giving us a cool and somewhat scary combination.
This crimson creation happens every two years or so and has been occurring like this for as long as we know. The blood moon has been given many interpretations in religious contexts throughout human history, often being an omen for end times and death. Despite these dark meanings, people today more often see it as a beautiful occurrence that gives stargazers something to look forward to every time it rolls around.
The lunar eclipse is said to appear on March 13th and into the morning of the next day. This will give people plenty of time to mark this on their calendars and wait with friends and family to see this “blood moon”.
