Tonight, the Moon will stage a rare astronomical spectacle: a total lunar eclipse (blood moon) combined with a supermoon and a blue moon! This extraordinary event will be visible across most parts of China. As explained in a popular science video produced by the China Digital Science and Technology Museum, supermoons occur about four to six times a year on average, so they are not particularly uncommon. However, the supermoon on the 31st is special because it will coincide with a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon, Sun and Earth align perfectly in a straight line.
The Moon’s orbit is tilted, so it usually passes above or below Earth’s shadow. About twice a year, a full moon lines up precisely with the Sun and Earth, and the Moon is fully engulfed in Earth’s shadow.
Yet some sunlight still bends around Earth’s edge. As it passes through the atmosphere, violet, blue, green and yellow light are filtered out, casting an eerie red glow onto the Moon. This is why a total lunar eclipse is also known as a “blood moon”.
The total lunar eclipse begins at 20:51 Beijing Time and lasts 1 hour and 16 minutes. With clear weather, the blood moon will be visible all across China. While supermoons, blue moons and blood moons are not extremely rare individually, the combination of all three is a spectacular astronomical event.
