Super Blue Blood Moon
by Alana May, M.S. [Editor’s Note: Alana holds a Master’s degree in Astrophysics from the University of Alabama.] In the early morning hours of January 31, 2018, much of North America will get the privilege of witnessing a rare celestial event: Super Blue Blood Moon. But what exactly is this trifecta of lunar phenomena? Is it a harbinger of doom or apocalyptic events? Let’s break it down. Supermoon Like the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the Moon travels in an elliptical orbit around the Earth. Because of this, the Moon has a closest approach (perigee) and a farthest approach (appogee) to the Earth. A Supermoon occurs when the Moon reaches its perigee and will therefore, appear up to 16% larger and 30% brighter than usual.1 The January 31st Supermoon is…