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Where And When To See The Super Blood Wolf Moon 2019 - And What It Means For You

Where And When To See The Super Blood Wolf Moon 2019 - And What It Means For You

The lunar eclipse happens 28 times per 100 years and sees the moon take on a deep red hue - but does it really mean the world's ending?

Amelia Jones

Amelia Jones

Forget the January blues, this month the moon will be turning red in 2019's first lunar eclipse known as a super blood wolf moon.

The lunar eclipse will appear for around three hours on Monday, 21st January 2019. From the UK, the best time to see it will be at around 5:15am GMT - so remember to set your alarm early.

In the Americas and the north and west of Europe the best time to see it will be just after 02:30am.

So what is it? Contrary to conspiracy theories it probably isn't a sign of the end being nigh - so don't cancel your Netflix subscription just yet.

Unsplash/Nick Owuor

The rare lunar phenomenon is a combination of two events - a total lunar eclipse and a supermoon.

During a total eclipse of the moon, the Earth passes directly between the sun and moon, casting a shadow across the moon. The normally white orb will appear to glow red (hence the ominous 'blood' reference in its name).

According to NASA: "A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. Although the moon is in Earth's shadow, some sunlight reaches the moon.

"The sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, which causes Earth's atmosphere to filter out most of the blue light. This makes the moon appear red to people on Earth."

So what about the 'super' bit? A supermoon occurs when a full moon falls at or near the perigee - translation: its closest point to Earth. Meaning it looks brighter, bigger and far more impressive than normal.

Pastor Paul Begley, a Christian preacher from the US, labelled the eclipse as an incredibly spiritual phenomenon and fulfilment of prophecy signalling the end of the world. He warned: "Something biblical is going on with the signs of the Second Coming of Christ."

The Blood Moon arrives on the second anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration to office. What's more, President Trump was born on a Blood Moon on 14th June 1946 - exactly 700 days before Israel was declared a nation.

Pastor Begley explained: "Jesus wants to be sure we understand that in the last days there will be signs in the Sun, the Moon, the stars and of course the stress of nations on the planet."

His 'proof' comes from a Bible quote. Joel 2:28-31 reads: "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."

Unsplash/AltinayDinc

But before you panic and fully repent, know this: biblical experts and astronomers alike have refuted pastor Begley's claims and said the the blood moon is not a sign of the apocalypse but a natural result of refracted sunlight falling on the Moon.

For your best chance of seeing the lunar bad boy head for a vantage point with as little light pollution like the countryside away from city lights or suburban lampposts. Allow your eyes at least ten minutes to allow your eyes to acclimatise to the darkness. And bring coffee and a coat - you're going to need it.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash/David Von Diemar

Topics: News, Really?