Tonight Later: Blood Moon, A Breathtaking Sky Phenomenon You Don’t Want To Miss
Since time began, our common phenomenon and marvel in the evening sky has been around. To all of the world’s marvels that left us agog, the Blood Moon is a ginormous one. Evening evening, amateur scientists and professionals too will all get to see something as beautiful as a Blood Moon in the sky. So, in this article here today, we are going to learn all about this world wonder, why and how you would be seeing a blood moon, what you get to see, and how professionals and astronomers like them predict it. There is a Blood Moon or lunar eclipse whenever the Earth passes between the light of the Sun and the Moon and acts as an eclipse on the Moon.
The Moon becomes red and hence “Blood Moon.” It is because of its gorgeous red hue owing to the atmosphere of the Earth since it unfocuses light, disintegrates the short wave of light (i.e., green and blue) but cannot kill long waves (i.e., orange and red) so to speak and hence they get a chance to travel to reach on the surface of the Moon. While when the solar eclipse occurs he has to watch it using protective eyewear so that he is not hurt, the Blood Moon can be watched in its natural state without the protective eyewear. In this alone, the Blood Moon is not just stunning but safe to view by any person of any age.
Why is the Blood Moon Important?
Blood Moon was a science, religion, and culture giant in nearly every century of human history. Moon eclipses in previous centuries were always considered by all societies as messengers or messages of God. Today, even human beings do not know to which science it belongs but no less interesting though actually rare.
Scientifically, this is the right time for Moon eclipse to look at the refraction of the light by atmosphere and Earth’s atmosphere. Even to make a guess how worst and polluted the atmosphere is at the time of eclipse, taking calculation from eclipse color of Moon, one may calculate that most critical calculation.
Where and When to Observe the Blood Moon Tonight
Blood Moon tonight will be visible from any location on the globe, subject to your place of residence. Certain facts have been briefly introduced below:
- Date: [Insert Date]
- Time: Start of eclipse at [Insert Time] and at the peak at [Insert Time]. The duration will be of around [Insert Duration].
- Visibility: It is extremely easy for you to spot the Blood Moon in [Insert Regions/Countries]. You simply find yourself at [Insert Specific Locations] if so, then obviously you have the luxury of viewing the eclipse.
- Don’t miss seeing this wonder in the sky, plan ahead for your visibility and timing at home on your neighborhood astronomy sites or phone apps. If you are in an area from which you’ll not have sight of the Blood Moon, there are live webcasts of the event provided by some observatories and institutions.
Taking the Blood Moon Photos
You can also set Blood Moon as your event photo for your camera and you can do so if you are prepared. One of the procedures on how you can capture a photo tonight for the event is:
- Tripod: You will always be in need of stability every time you capture your photo of the Moon. You can never expose yourself ever to fuzzy photos with a tripod.
- Your Settings: Not something extremely low on your ISO (i.e., 200-100) so you will never see any noise, and play around with your aperture with f/8 or wider so you will have very clean details.
- Telephoto Lens: Use a telephoto lens whose focal length will never be less than 200mm so you can very comfortably shoot very minute details of the Moon.
- Expose Play: Moon’s light also varies during an eclipse, and you will therefore need to play with your back shutter speed.
Science Behind the Blood Moon
Blood Moon is a result of exactly such a conjunction of Moon, Sun, and Earth. Step-by-step explanation of the process step by step of how it all occurs in a total lunar eclipse is as follows:
- Penumbral Phase: The Moon is in the Earth’s outer shadow, or penumbra. It is a weak and narrow one.
- Partial Eclipse: The Moon is further within the shadow of the Earth and the inner darker area called the umbra. The Moon will begin darkening and reddish color now.
- Total Eclipse: The Moon is completely shadowed by the umbra, and the brightest of all is the Blood Moon. It would be red-colored as when sun light has to travel a far distance through the atmosphere of the Earth and get diffused to the Moon.
- End of Eclipse: The Moon gradually comes out from the penumbra and umbra and reverts back to its natural shape.
Myths and Legends of the Blood Moon
There were some myths and legends of Blood Moon in the previous century as well. It was a sign of disaster or revolutionary times in some cultures. For instance:
- Ancient Mesopotamia: Mesopotamians sometimes treated a lunar eclipse as demons on the Moon’s rampage.
- Inca Civilization: Incas used blood moon to denote jaguar going down to the Moon and jaguar coming down from the Moon and injuring.
- Medieval Europe: Medieval Europeans were none the less so in war or famine and Blood Moon.
These all now appear old-fashioned but tell a lot about how wide the canvas is on human mind and culture over which the hegemony has been imposed by weather phenomena.
Tricks to Make the Most of Tonight’s Blood Moon
Below are some tricks on how to make the most of watching Blood Moons:
- Proceed to a Dark Place: The light pollution will spoil the observation of the eclipse. Proceed to a dark place or one of the recently discovered dark sky parks to observe it in the best possible manner.
- Binoculars or Telescope : No telescope or binocular is needed to witness the Blood Moon, but if you have some spare money, then you can observe more on the surface of the Moon.
- Dress in Layers: Dress warmly when going out.
- Invite Relatives and Friends In: Invite relatives’ and friends’ time in to come in and experience the best of the night sky.
Mark It On Your Calendar: When the Next Blood Moon is
You won’t be disappointed if you would have to miss today’s Blood Moon because something is always going to come along in the future in the form of getting to view this phenomenon. Next total lunar eclipse on [Insert Date]. Put it in your calendar and enjoy now!
Conclusion
Tonight’s Blood Moon brings our universe’s wonder and spectacle into perspective. Whether you’re an avid astronomer or simply someone who appreciates the wonders of nature, this celestial event is not to be missed. So grab your camera, gather your loved ones, and head outside to witness the magic of the Blood Moon. Don’t forget to share your experience on social media using hashtags like #BloodMoon and #LunarEclipse to connect with fellow skywatchers around the world.
Stay up-to-date on the news in space, and gaze up at the stars!