January 31, 2018
South Burnett residents who stay up late tonight will be able to witness a rare visual spectacle: a super blue blood moon lunar eclipse.
The last time this trifecta occurred was in 1866, more than 150 years ago.
The event is a convergence of three celestial events – a blue moon, a super moon and a full lunar eclipse.
A blue moon is the second full moon of a calendar month, and a super moon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth, appearing bigger and brighter than usual.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly behind the Earth and gets partially covered by the Earth’s shadow.
Lunar eclipses can occur anywhere between two and four times each year, but total eclipses where the moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow are much rarer.
Total eclipses are commonly referred to as a blood moon because refracted light from the Earth gives the moon a distinctly reddish colour.
The super blue blood moon lunar eclipse will be visible all over Australia but the South Burnett – with our dark skies – will be one of the best places to view it.
The spectacle will start at 9:48pm with a partial eclipse, followed by the total eclipse beginning at 10:52pm.
The total eclipse will end at 12:08am and the moon will fully re-emerge from the Earth’s shadow by 1:11am.
The best viewing sites are flat open ground or any hill top with a clear view north.
