The early dawning night skies on January 21 , 2019 , will hold a rarefied and unusual event as a total lunar occultation is adjust to pass when the Moon is at its close propinquity to Earth – a phenomenon know as a “ Super descent Moon ” , which will not visible again until2036 .

Though the result israre , it is not a sign of “ at hand doom ” as some publications haveclaimed . Of the 87 total lunar eclipses that will come during this century , Newsweekreportsthat just 28 will coincide with the perigee of supermoons ,   or the level when the Moon is closest to Earth .

A full lunar occultation go on when the Earth , Sun , and Moon are insyzygyalignment , the Greek Holy Writ for being match together , when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon , covering the Moon in its shadow . The varying stages of Earth ’s three shadows , known as the umbra ( the darker , central part ) , the penumbra ( the out part ) , and the antumbra ( the partly shaded surface area beyond the umbra ) , dictates what form of eclipse will hap – in this case , the umbra . When this happens , the Moon can turn a coppery red   – hence the nicknameBlood Moon – as light passing through the Earth ’s atmosphere is refracted back towards the Moon . Its colouration during entireness depends on dust found in the Earth ’s atm at the time , which blocks out high frequency drab waves and allows longer ruddy waves to occur through , and can crop from a abstruse , dingy red to light hues of orange and white-livered . NASA captured a time - lapse of a similar Super Blue Blood Moon upshot   in January 2018   over the agency ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California .

The Royal Museums Greenwichsaysthat the full occultation will be visible over most of North America , South America , and part of west and north Europe while the eternal sleep of Europe and Africa can tune in just in prison term to pick up the end of it . The Moon will begin toenterthe Earth ’s shadow just after 2:30am GMT , with the maximum occultation taking spot until 5:15am . In amount , the intact occultation will last for more than five hours , ending at 7:48am .

occultation calculations are accurate within a few seconds , so be sure to clock your viewing partyprecisely . If you drop it , you ’ll have another prospect toviewa less striking partial lunar occultation coming up in July .