Blood Moon returns, and the next one set to happen on Oct. 8 will be bigger and better than the last one. With the return of the Blood Moon, skywatchers will get the chance to see the majestic red glow of the moon once again in a total lunar eclipse next week.
Unfortunately though, not everyone across the world will get a rare scarlet glimpse as Blood Moon returns.
According to Timeanddate.com, the Blood Moon eclipse will be most visible in North Carolina.
In the western half of the United States, Americans get to have front-row seat as the Blood Moon returns and the skies unveil a burnt reddish shade of the Earth's moon for about an hour Wednesday.
The return of the Blood Moon next week is the second blood moon in relatively short succession, according to MyFox8.
NASA said that the full eclipse will begin at 6:25 a.m. ET, lasting till 7:24 a.m. ET.
The 6 a.m. start will be visible on the East Coast of the United States as Blood Moon returns, but moon enthusiasts on the West Coast will get a better view of the moon's rusty glow.
The eclipse will reportedly take place between 3:25 a.m. PDT and 4:24 a.m. PDT on Wednesday.
Australians and people located in countries along the Pacific Ocean will also have the chance to see the eclipse, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
The Blood Moon return next week is reportedly the second in a so-called total lunar eclipse tetrad, a series of four consecutive eclipses that started early 2014.
As the Blood Moon returns, the celestial body will be showing its face just before sunrise in North America. However, red might not be the only shade people see during the total eclipse. If Wednesday is graced with lovely weather, it is possible that some people get also see a blue version of the moon.
NASA officials said that the return of the Blood Moon will be the second of four consecutive total lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015.
Also termed a tetrad, the Blood Moon's return is the second in a sequence of four, occurring in roughly six-month intervals. The next one will appear on April 4, 2015, and the last one on September 28, 2015. The first total eclipse tetrad this year occurred in April.
As the Blood Moon returns right after the perigee, it will be the closest point to Earth in the moon's orbit.
Wednesday's Blood Moon will be nearly the size of a super moon, set to appear 5.3% larger than the previous blood moon on April 15, according to CNN.
The radiant shade of the heavenly body reportedly comes from the edges of the sun peeking out around the Earth's periphery via its atmosphere in a sunset shining on the moon. Apparently, the Earth has to be in the perfect position to catch the rays.
According to NASA, during a total lunar eclipse, such as the Blood Moon return, the moon passes into Earth's shadow. This results in our planet darkening the face of the moon, and instead of making the moon becoming completely dark, its shine becomes a rosy hue as it reflects light from the sun coming through Earth's atmosphere.
While the Blood Moon returns on Wednesday, the color of the moon will actually depend on the Earth's atmosphere.
According to NASA, a good example would be if there is a volcanic activity on the planet. Apparently, it can pollute the atmosphere causing the moon to appear very dark in color during an eclipse.
NASA also said that penumbral, partial or total lunar eclipses occur in random order. Therefore getting four total eclipses in a row is like drawing a rare lunar poker hand of four of a kind.
"The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the U.S.A.," said, Fred Espenak, a NASA eclipse expert.
This would mean that for people Europe, Africa and the Middle East, even if the Blood Moon returns on Wednesday, they will not be able to see it.
When the Blood Moon returns, for sure many people might hang superstitions, citing their accord with Jewish religious holidays, such as the the lesser known holiday of Sukkot, four days after Yom Kippur, according to CNN. However, there is no coincidence in this Blood Moon return, as with any other phenomenon of the sort.
"It promises to be a stunning sight, even from the most light-polluted cities," said Espenak in a statement. "I encourage everyone, especially families with curious children, to go out and enjoy the event."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
