Howling at the Wolf Moon: Rare Super Blood Moon to Take Place

A new year’s gift of sorts will be available in the Texas night sky for those who wish to see it. On January 20, leading into January 21, the moon will be giving off the glow of a bright reddish hue. This, coupled with two other lunar events will have millions throughout North and South America staring upward this month. A complete lunar eclipse, a “Wolf Moon,” and the super blood moon event make a rare lunar trifecta.

A “Wolf Moon” is simply the nickname for a mid-winter full lunar event, derived from Native American culture recognizing that wolves howled in the night air as they hunted in the light of the full moon at that time of year. As for the lunar eclipse, NASA has stated that the next occurrence of this event won’t take place until 2021. This year’s event is expected to last roughly an hour in length beginning at approximately 10:41 p.m. Central Time on January 20. National Geographic has confirmed that the super blood moon will happen for only a few hours within that same proximity.

Photo: Pixabay

Why is it a supermoon? The definition of one is that which appears closer than normal due to its orbit being at the closest distance to Earth at this time. Subsequently, a supermoon normally shows at 14 percent bigger and 30 percent more luminous as compared to the average. Still, with the naked eye, it’s tough to truly see the difference. “Blood” is a term stemming from the rusty-red hue the moon will turn during the course of the complete lunar eclipse. Although to many, this may seem an otherwise normal evening of no consequence, it’s quite possible the astrologers might have something else to say about it. Perhaps some new lucky lotto numbers may make themselves apparent, or your luck might change for the better… if you believe that the moon and the stars play a role in such things!