Early Wednesday morning the moon will put on its biggest show since August, when it passed in front of the sun and turned us all into amateur astronomers for a few hours. Unlike the eclipse, this will be visible to the naked eye — just look up. You’ll have to get up before dawn, though.
The “super blue blood moon” earns that stupendous moniker for a confluence of lunar phenomena. “Super” for its unusual brightness, a result of the moon being close to Earth in its orbit. “Blue” because it’s the second full moon of the month. “Blood” because it will take on a red hue while in the Earth’s shadow, a total lunar eclipse. “Moon” because, well, it’s the moon.
According to NASA, the show starts for us folks in the Central Time Zone will begin just before 5 a.m., when the Earth’s shadow starts to encroach on the moon. Peak super blue blood moon should arrive in Dallas at about 6:15 a.m., and then unfortunately fade as the sun rises and the moon sets around 7 a.m. The weather forecast calls for clear skies, so you’ll be able to enjoy the super blue blood moon while it lasts.
