How to Stream the Lunar Eclipse on January 31 If Your View Is Bad

The Super Blue Blood Moon is an exceedingly rare lunar event that experts are calling an “astronomical trifecta”. Stargazers residing on the west coast of the United States or anywhere on the Pacific Rim will have the best seats in the house. Everyone else will only be able to see a part of the moon’s 76-minute journey through Earth’s shadow.

Fortunately, the internet is here to make sure everyone is able to see this total lunar eclipse in all its glory. Beginning at 5:30 A.M. Eastern Time on January 31, NASA will be offering a live stream of the moon on NASA TV and NASA.gov/live if the weather permits.

The stream will give spectators views from three different vantage points from telescope located at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; and the University of Arizona’s Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory.

Wednesday’s total lunar eclipse will be the third in a series of “supermoons”, that’s when the moon is closer to Earth in during its elliptical orbit — also known as perigee — in December 2017 and January 2018. This means the moon will be roughly 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than typical full moons.

The full moon on January 31 will be the second full moon of the month, an occurrence known as the “blue moon,” making this celestial event all the rarer.

The last time these three happenings took place at the same time was way back in 1866. The saying should really be, “Once in a super blue blood moon.”