We are just a few days into a new year, and already we have a natural event to look forward to! The moon will put on a show in a full lunar eclipse on the night of January 20th, and Kentucky has a front row seat. Even if you’re not a night owl, you’ll want to stay awake for this unique view of the moon, which will appear in our sky in a rare, jaw-dropping state.
It seems like it was just yesterday we were all looking forward to the solar eclipse that took place in 2017. This natural phenomenon, pictured below, was perfectly viewed from parts of Kentucky, and now our entire state will have a brilliant view of the moon’s answer to the sun’s performance.
Flickr/Daniel Betts
On the evening of January 20th and stretching into the early morning hours of January 21st, we’ll be able to witness a beautiful trifecta - a full moon, Super Moon, and an eclipse - all in one epic event.
Flickr/nmroshan
But that’s not all - the total eclipse also happens to line up with a few other lunar features. It’s being called a Super Blood Wolf Moon, which makes it sound even more exciting.
Flickr/Jürgen Mangelsdorf As a Super Moon, it will be as close to Earth as it gets, making it all that much easier to see from our vantage point. The term Blood Moon describes the brilliant red color that the moon takes on when it is fully in Earth’s shadow. But what’s a Wolf Moon? This is simply a name for the first full moon of the year. It is said to come from the fact that wolves tend to howl more during the early months of the year, as the peak of their breeding season is in February.
Get your camera ready, hope for clear skies, and be prepared to see our sky put on an incredible show. Unlike a solar eclipse, no special glasses are required to protect your eyes from a lunar eclipse.
Facebook/The BB&T Observatory
As the moon moves through a penumbral series, it is darkened by the cone-shaped shadow of the Earth as it approaches the total eclipse. This process will begin in Kentucky at 9:36 p.m. on the night of the 20th, will reach its maximum just after midnight, at 12:12 a.m., and will come to an end at 2:48 a.m. on January 21st.
Flickr/Bharathram Pattabhiraman
This is one event you definitely don’t want to miss, as it is the last time we will be able to see a total lunar eclipse until May of 2021.
Flickr/Paul Langlois You don’t need any special equipment to view this astronomical event, just the ability to stay up past midnight. And it’ll be worth it, just to see a brilliantly red, full, super moon hovering over the beautiful landscape of Kentucky.
Some things are worth staying up late for, and this rare lunar eclipse is definitely one of them! The moon will be as close to us as it gets, and in that blood red color, it will surely be an astronomical highlight of the year.
Flickr/Daniel Betts
Flickr/nmroshan
Flickr/Jürgen Mangelsdorf
As a Super Moon, it will be as close to Earth as it gets, making it all that much easier to see from our vantage point. The term Blood Moon describes the brilliant red color that the moon takes on when it is fully in Earth’s shadow. But what’s a Wolf Moon? This is simply a name for the first full moon of the year. It is said to come from the fact that wolves tend to howl more during the early months of the year, as the peak of their breeding season is in February.
Facebook/The BB&T Observatory
Flickr/Bharathram Pattabhiraman
Flickr/Paul Langlois
You don’t need any special equipment to view this astronomical event, just the ability to stay up past midnight. And it’ll be worth it, just to see a brilliantly red, full, super moon hovering over the beautiful landscape of Kentucky.
Have you seen an eclipse like this before? Are you excited for the night of January 20th? Let us know in the comments!
And if you’d like to see the ultimate spot in Kentucky to visit while witnessing the eclipse, check out our previous article here.
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