First Super Blue Blood Moon in 35 Years

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —
Hong Kong stargazers use telescopes to observe the moon along the Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, on Wednesday.  (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The moon is putting on a rare cosmic show Wednesday.

It’s the first time in 35 years a blue moon has synced up with a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse.

Hawaii and Alaska have the best seats, along with the Canadian Yukon, Australia and Asia. The western U.S. should have good viewing, too, along with Russia. The U.S. East Coast, Europe and most of South America and Africa are out of luck for the eclipse.

The second full moon in a calendar month is a blue moon. This one also happens to be an especially close and bright moon, or supermoon. Add a total eclipse, known as a blood moon for its red tint, and it’s a lunar showstopper.

NASA is calling it a lunar trifecta: the first super blue blood moon since 1982. That combination won’t happen again until 2037.

The space agency plans to provide a live stream of the moon from ground telescopes, throughout the eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon line up perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow on the moon.

For the trivia crowd, the moon will be 223,820 miles away at the peak of the eclipse, close enough for supermoon status.

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