The new year seems to be bringing in a treat for astrologers and moon-gazers alike. According to Quartz, two rare supermoons along with a lunar eclipse will be witnessed within the first month of the year itself.
The report further states that the second the two supermoons- which are full moons that appear when the moon is at its closest orbital point to the Earth, is famously referred to as the “blue moon”, since it is the second full moon to occur during a single month.
When Can You See Them
According to astronomy experts from Space.com, the first of the supermoons- the “First Wolf Moon” will rise on Monday, 1 January at around 9:24 pm in New York, which works out to be about 7:54 am in India.
This supermoon can also be seen at about 4:39 pm on 2 January in New York, which is about 3.09 am on 3 January in India.
The second supermoon, also being called the “blue moon”, can be seen on the night of 30 January or 31 January in New York, reports Space.com and occurs during a total lunar eclipse. According to the report, NASA has termed the second supermoon as a "super blue blood moon".
The same report adds that the lunar eclipse in question will be seen on the morning on 31 January and that while it is a “full” lunar eclipse, a lot of cities in the eastern zone of America will not be able to see it in full, since it will be lying low in the sky during the entire period of the eclipse.
How to Spot the Supermoons
As Quartz reports, the best way to spot these supermoons and the lunar eclipse is right after the moonrise and before the sunrise, when the moon is sitting on the horizon because this is when the moon is reportedly at its “biggest and brightest”.
For those who are not present in the hemisphere where the supermoons will reportedly be seen the best, The Virtual Telescope project will be providing a livestream of the first supermoon rise over Rome’s skyline, the report adds. It also says that no instruments are required for the viewing of the supermoons, which can be spotted with the naked eye!
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