The evening of January 31st some lucky ones of us will witness a Super Blue Blood Moon.  It will be total lunar eclipse as well. Here’s the scoop on this!

Let’s take a moment to stop and drop into wonder and awe for our many glorious, intriguing celestial experiences.  I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the sky, the night sky in particular.  We had a telescope in my home growing up, and I can remember my dad taking me out as a kid to watch special things in the sky, to learn about the constellations, study the moon as it waxed and waned.  It was part of why I took Astronomy later, which opened my eyes and heart even wider about our incredible cosmos.  If you wanna dip and delve, check out these images from the Hubble Space Telescope gallery!

So what exactly is a Super Blue Blood Moon?  A full moon is called super when it appears quite large in the sky because it’s close to the earth on its orbit, its perigee. It really can look large, and grand — super indeed!

Blue Moon is the name given to a second full moon in a month, and the first one was on Jan. 1.  You’ve heard “once in a blue moon”, perhaps.  The phrase means rarely.  There will only be two blue moons this year.

And Blood?  That name describes a moon that is in the shadow of the earth, as this full moon will be.  Not totally blocked out by the earth, but fully in its shadow, which gives it the reddish cast.  Hence the Blood in Super Blue Blood moon.

This natural event, the eclipse part of it, I just learned, will actually force NASA to shut down its lunar spacecraft equipment temporarily.  Apparently eclipses put a strain on the spacecraft equipment because it uses the sun for power, and the sun is blocked when the moon is in shadow.  Funky, eh?

Since I’m not likely to be able to see it — we’ve got still more rain predicted for the coming week — I’ll ask those of you who are so fortunate, to take a special, deep, look for me — at the super blue blood moon!

Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity.  BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth.  Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume.  Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook