The Blue Moon will appear at the same time as the lunar eclipse
The first html March total lunar eclipse this year will appear on the night of January 31st! Starting from 19:48 that night, you can see that the big and round full moon has been bitten, and the rabbit shadow on the moon slowly turns blood red in the sky. This is also the second blue moon and total lunar eclipse after 152 years. Happening at the same time, the public is invited to seize this rare night and come see this astronomical wonder.
January 31st this year is also the second full moon in January. This phenomenon of the second full moon in a month is called "Blue Moon", or "Once in a Blue Moon" in the proverb. It represents a once-in-a-lifetime meaning, and the blue moon encounters a total lunar eclipse, which is an even rarer opportunity. According to astronomical observation records, the most recent total lunar eclipse of a blue moon occurred on March 31, 1866, 152 years ago. If you miss it this year, you will have to wait another 10 years for the opportunity to witness it.
Tainan City Nanying Planetarium stated that the total lunar eclipse occurred because the moon was obscured by the shadow of the earth. Since there is an angle of about 5° between the moon's orbit and the earth's orbit, a lunar eclipse does not occur every full moon. A "total lunar eclipse" in which the sun, earth, and moon are completely aligned in a straight line takes an average of 2-3 years. Saw it once. Since the atmosphere on the earth's surface scatters sunlight, only red light is refracted to the moon's surface. Similar to the situation when watching the sunset at dusk, the "Blue Moon" seen at this time will turn red.
Nanying Planetarium recommends that the process of this total lunar eclipse entering the Earth's umbral shadow occurs in the first half of the night and lasts from 19:48 to 23:12 Taiwan time. The whole process takes nearly 3.5 hours. It is very suitable for public observation and viewing during the winter vacation. A total lunar eclipse only requires the naked eye to see the changes throughout the process. You can draw or take photos of the moon at intervals and record the time to create your own record of the total lunar eclipse.
The Nanyang Planetarium also held a series of astronomy lectures and activities on the total lunar eclipse on the night of January 31st, "Tengu swallows the blue moon, and the blood red shines!", including astronomical science breakthroughs, lunar and lunar phase lectures, lunar phase large-scale competition games, telescope observation, Starry sky guided tours and commentary, etc., the day's activities will start from 5 pm to 11:30 pm. The public is welcome to bring picnic mats to enjoy this rare lunar eclipse feast.
