Did You See the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse?

Last night there was a very special lunar event! Did you get to see it? January’s full moon is always called the “wolf” moon. (I’ve heard it was so-named by American Indians because that’s when the wolves howled most fiercely outside their villages 😦 ).  Last night there was also a “super” moon, which means the moon was full while it was at its closest point to the earth in its rotation, making it look especially large and luminous. Every year we get two to five supermoons, and this year there are three: the one last night, one on Feb. 19 (which will be the closest and largest full supermoon of the year), and one on March 21.  A “blood” moon refers to the color the moon appears to be during a total lunar eclipse. Instead of disappearing altogether, there is still some light that reaches it from the sun, although the rays are refracted in such a way that blue light is filtered out, leaving the sunset glow of red light. A super blood moon is a rare occurrence with gaps between six months and three years. Last night was the only  super blood moon in 2019, and there won’t be another one like it visible in North America until May 26, 2021. Lunar eclipses occur during a full moon, when the sun and moon are perfectly aligned on opposite sides of the Earth so that the moon falls completely under Earth’s shadow. Last night’s eclipse lasted just 72 minutes, between 11:41 EST (January 20) and 12:53 EST (January 21, the wee hours of this morning).  The moon appears red only during the eclipse. Once the moon enters Earth’s shadow, it will turn red throughout the full eclipse.  But, once the moon begins to lose its red hue, you know the full eclipse is over.My photos of the blood moon and the lunar eclipse were not taken last night, however! They were taken in Italy last July while I was visiting my kids who lived there. Michael and Grace were all excited about the special event, and we were perched in place, watching so we wouldn’t miss this opportunity! We knew the eclipse wouldn’t be visible anywhere in America that night, which made it all the more exotic and unusual! Last night, Alan and I admired the full moon rising on our way home from visiting with friends, but we were oblivious of the momentous event about to occur just a couple of hours later. When we got home, we watched our son, Joel, out skating in the moonlight and thought about what a beautiful evening it was, but we fell right to sleep without any portend of “things to come!”I wonder, friend, as you look up at the night sky, do you know some day a blood moon will portend the Lord’s return to  Earth? “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Are  you prepared for that day? “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:6-13).

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,³⁹ And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.⁴⁰ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.⁴¹ Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.⁴³ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” Matthew 24:37-44).

“And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:²¹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:19-21).

(Photo Credits: Best photo of the blood moon [#3 in order] was taken by NASA. I took #2. photo at a showing in our local planetarium and the rest on July 27, 2018 near Costozza, Italy.)