The grand finale of the 'supermoon trilogy' is almost upon us.
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Known as the "blue moon blood moon supermoon" rising on Wednesday night (January 31), it has night sky enthusiasts really excited.
It’s when three separate celestial events - a supermoon, a blue moon and a full lunar eclipse - occur simultaneously
Dave Reneke, a writer for major Australian publications including Australasian Science Magazine and who’s based on the Mid North Coast, says the eclipse starts at around 11.50pm with full eclipse occurring around 12.30am.
The last time such a triple treat took place was in 1866.
“No human alive has ever seen this before and it will not be seen again until 2028 – on December 31 to be exact,” Dave added.
It will be the third of summer's four supermoons, the phenomenon where the full moon appears bigger and brighter because it is "at perigee" - the point in its orbit when it is approaching Earth at its closest.
Being the second full moon in a calendar month, it will be a blue moon. (Contrary to the old saying, they're not that rare, falling once every three years.)
To top it off, it will be a blood moon, glowing red during a lunar eclipse, as it takes on a faint glow from the sunlight reflected through Earth's atmosphere.
Related:
What’s been dubbed the “supermoon trilogy" began on December 3 with the "cold moon" followed by episode two on New Year’s Day.