Lunar Eclipse, January 2018 @ B178 AMK (Singapore)

Super Blue Blood Moon (Lunar Eclipse)

"A total lunar eclipse is now currently taking place on January 31, 2018. The moon appears as supermoon, with perigee being on January 30. Also it is the first blue moon eclipse in 2018, so it was referred to as the super blue blood moon." - Wikipedia

A total lunar eclipse (blood moon), a blue moon (2nd full moon in a month) and a supermoon (full moon at close distance – perigee) occurred simultaneously, in a coincidence that last happened almost 152 years ago in 1866.

Nasa has coined it “super blue blood moon,”

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse is when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. When there is a total lunar eclipse, the Earth’s umbra completely covers the Moon and the Moon is red, brown, or yellow in color, and is known as a blood moon.

The last total lunar eclipse that was visible in Singapore happened on 4th April 2015.

The future ones visible in Singapore will be on 28th July 2018,  26th May 2021, 8th November 2022, 7-8 September 2025…  (Source: www.timeanddate.com)

What is a full moon?

It is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective.

The moon cycles around earth about once a month (29.5 days). Hence, there will be at least a full moon in every month.

In the lunar calendar (aka Chinese Calendar), each month begins on the day  (初一) of the new moon. A new moon is the time at which the moon is in conjunction with the sun, when it is not visible from the earth. In each month, a full moon will appear on the Fifteen (初十五).

Moon Phases Demonstration video (4:15 mins)

What is a blue moon?

It has 3 definitions. The first 2 definitions are a type of Full Moon.

1. (Monthly) Blue Moon
   It is a second full moon in a calendar month.

   One month typically has a full moon. If a month has 2 full moons, then the second full moon is a Blue Moon.

   The latest is the one occurred on 31st Jan 2018, Wednesday.

   The last one before the latest one took place on 31st July 2015.

   The next ones will be on 31st March 2018 & 31st October 2020. (Source: Wikipedia)

2. Seasonal Blue Moon
   It is an extra full moon that occurred in a season.

   One season – winter, spring, fall, summer – typically has three full moons. If a season has four full moons, then the third full moon may be called a (Seasonal) Blue Moon.

   The last Seasonal Blue Moon took place on 21st May 2016.

   The next ones (third of four full moons in one season) will take place on 18th May 2019, 22nd August 2021. (Source: Wikipedia)

3. Blue-colored moons
   A phenomenon whereby the moon appears bluish owing to smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, and filtering out excessive red light.

Is a Monthly and Seasonal Blue Moons actually blue?

Blue moons aren’t actually blue – the confusion is because the term originates in “blewe”, the old English word for “betrayer”.

Normally, a year would have 12 full moons, but when a full moon appears for the 13th time – it was perceived to have ‘betrayed’ the lunar cycle.

(Source: Wikipedia)

“Once in a blue moon”

Blue-colored moons are rare. Blue-colored moons aren’t predictable. Seasonal Blue Moon occurs once every two years and eight months (estimated).

Now you know why we used “once in a blue moon” to mean “don’t know when” or “something rare” that happened. :)… like selling this flat?… 🙂

What is a Supermoon?

Supermoon is not an official astronomical term. It was first coined by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, in 1979. He defined it as ‘a New or a Full Moon that occurs when the Moon is at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in its orbit’. It is not clear why he chose the 90% cut off in his definition. (Source: www.timeanddate.com)

Definition: Supermoon is the phenomenon whereby the moon appears particularly large in the sky owing to the coincidence of its closest approach to the earth (the perigee) with a full (or new) moon.

“Catching the lunar eclipse @ the unblock view from the kitchen of our unit on January 31, 2018, from 8.33pm. It was raining before that. Watching the lunar eclipse with cool wind blowing at our face is just …. “Shiok”… :)”
– flat owner of Blk 178 Ang Mo Kio (Singapore)

photos taken by flat owner