Super Blue Blood Moon

Some super cool news for sky gazers this Wednesday, it's the Super Blue Blood Moon. 

While the lunar trifecta has all kinds of space gazers in a tizzy... unfortunately, you'd need to be in Alaska (or at least California) to witness the full impact on US soil.  However, we will be part of the Super Blue Moon and so two out of three ain't shabby! 

The Jan. 31 full moon is special for three reasons: it’s the third in a series of “supermoons,” when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit -- known as perigee -- and is about 14 percent brighter than usual. 

Ever heard the phrase "once in a blue moon?" This idiom is one that most people mutter but don't really know the history of.  A "blue moon" is when there are two full lunar cycles in a month. So, this full moon will be the second in January, the first having taken place New Year's Day.

Then we have the "blood" moon (the portion we won't really get to witness), however, it's worth explaining that the blood moon gets its name from the red tint given to the moon as it is in Earth's shadow during the lunar eclipse. The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location (Alaska) a total lunar eclipse.

NASA has a graph to show you where/when all the fun starts.  Check it out HERE.

Do you have a Scout who is a budding astronomer and would like to make a moon phase calculator? They have a great project HERE.

Also the SkyView Lite app in the iTunes store (free) is a GREAT tool for you and your Scout to download and go outside to look up the constellations and planets that are out and visible to the naked eye (and some that aren't). It'll show you where the constellations are and what stars make them up as well as the name of each star. Check it out! It's a fantastic resource for part of the Astronomy Merit Badge.  Why not have your Scout pick his up Monday night so he can start with a spectacular lunar event like this?

The Astronomy Merit Badge workbook is available HERE and is a great resource for your Scout to begin working on his blue card.