The first — and only — total lunar eclipse of 2019 will light up the skies on Sunday, January 20. Lunar eclipses are so spectacular they struck fear into our ancient ancestors’ hearts. And this celestial event will be all the more striking, as Sunday morning will see a sinister Super Blood Wolf Moon paint the parts of the planet an eerie crimson colour.
Sunday’s Super Blood Wolf Moon will last for five hours in total but sadly India will not witness the incredible event.
This is because Blood Moon takes place at 10.11am IST and will last 62 minutes in total.
North and South America will have the front seat views of the Super Blood Wolf Moon, as will much of West Europe.
READ MORE: Will NASA show incredible footage of the lunar eclipse LIVE?
What is a Super Blood Wolf Moon?
Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipses are extremely rare astronomical events.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes perfectly between the Moon and the Sun, blocking most of the light from the Sun in the process.
Our celestial satellite is then plunged into Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra.
But the Moon does not go pitch black like the Sun does during a solar eclipse.
READ MORE: What does the Blood Moon mean for YOU?
This is because some sunlight still creeps past the outer edges of the Earth and hits the Moon.
This light is a creepy crimson-copper colour because the sunlight has been scattered after passing through a lot of atmosphere, colliding with tiny particles of nitrogen and oxygen.
This scattering effect explains why our sky is blue during the day, and reddish-orange in the evenings.
When the Sun is high in the sky, blue light gets scattered the most in all directions.
And when the Sun sets at a low angle, its light is passing through more atmosphere, filtering out the blue light and allowing reds and yellows to pass through.