Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Super Blood Wolf Moon

Monday, January 21, 2019

Super Blood Wolf Moon

Super Blood Wolf Moon

Sunday evening, Jan. 20, 2019 Kevin Dayhoff

I ventured out into the cold to attempt to get a few pictures of this evening’s lunar eclipse, the so-called, “Super Blood Wolf Moon.” And I mean cold. Here on the west end of Westminster, our thermometer was reading 15 degrees; although it is the wind that really made it miserable to stand out on the back patio and attempt to get a picture.

I froze my fingers off – and in the end I did not get a good picture. I was disappointed to not get a good picture, but it was still fascinating to observe. Apparently it does not happen again until 2022.

According to an article by Scott Dance, for the Baltimore Sun, “Baltimore-area skies could clear in time for the 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' on Sunday night,” “Total lunar eclipses are known for creating “blood” moons because instead of fully darkening the moon behind Earth’s shadow, light that bends around Earth’s atmosphere can sometimes cast a reddish tint across it.

“This one is ‘super’ because it coincides with lunar perigee, when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit around the planet. Super moons can appear slightly larger and brighter than other full moons, though it can be hard to tell with the naked eye.

“And January’s full moon has long been known as the Wolf Moon, because of long howls the animals call out during their breeding season. It has also been known as the Old Moon, the Ice Moon, or the Moon After Yule.”

Read the rest of Mr. Dances’ article here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/bs-md-super-blood-wolf-moon-20190115-story.html

According to an article by Kendra Kent and Ben Dorenbach for Fox Carolina, “It's a crazy name for a large full moon undergoing a total eclipse on Sunday night! The term "wolf" comes from the Native American tradition of naming the full moon in January after the wolf (apparently wolves howl more during the early, coldest part of the year to communicate with their pack mates.) Rest the rest of the article, “Super blood wolf moon happening tonight,” here: https://www.foxcarolina.com/weather/weather_blog/super-blood-wolf-moon-happening-tonight/article_7f26296e-183d-11e9-b75d-67df505234ac.html

Meanwhile in Alaska, where it’s warmer than here in Carroll County, KTUU posted this picture of “Once in a blue moon, we have a Super Wolf Blood moon.” Tracy Sinclare wrote, Sat., Jan. 19, 2019 - , “ANCHORAGE (KTUU) — It’s a rarity — a total lunar eclipse that coincides with the moon being at its closest point to Earth. On Jan. 20, 2019 North and South America will be able to see the Super Wolf Blood moon. The ‘super’ part is a result of the moon at perigee when the moon is at its nearest point to Earth during its orbit. It will appear seven to 14 percent bigger than a ‘regular’ moon.

“Every full moon during the year has a name. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the January full moon is the ‘wolf’ moon. ‘Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily,’ the Almanac reads.

“And it’s a ‘blood’ moon because of the total lunar eclipse which makes the moon appear red or orange. During a total lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space. Light gets refracted around the earth, and Earth’s atmosphere strips out the blue light leaving red, orange, and gold to reflect on the moon.

“‘How gold, orange, or red the Moon appears during a total lunar eclipse depends on how much dust, water, and other particles are in Earth's atmosphere, as well as factors such as temperature and humidity,’ according to NASA.”

https://kevindayhoff.wordpress.com/2019/01/21/super-blood-wolf-moon/

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