Super blood wolf moon coming to a sky near you

Super blood wolf moon.

What sounds like a metal band is actually a rare lunar eclipse event.

Granted that skies remain clear, Sunday’s eclipse will be visible between roughly 9:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.

Chris Martin, a life member of the of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada said the timing is perfect for Saskatchewan’s location compared to other viewing parties across the world.

“It starts early for us because we’re so far west in where you can see the eclipse across the world,” Martin said.

What differs from Sunday compared to most lunar activity is the combination of two celestial events — a super moon, or wolf moon, and a blood moon.

“Super moons, what that really means is how close is the moon to earth,” Martin said. “Is it really close? Then they call that a super moon.”

“It can’t be detected by the naked eye. You might see a little difference in your telescope, but not by much.”

Digging in a little deeper reveals the reasoning behind the complicated title.

A blood moon is another reference to an eclipse because of its bloody red colour. Martin said this happens due to the earth bending the light going to the moon. The usual blue colour is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere, eventually causing the colour of the moon to change from grey to red as the eclipse occurs.

The wolf moon aspect comes from Indigenous cultures, as wolves would typically howl at the larger moon during these eclipses.

Like any lunar event, there’s always a worthwhile viewing party nearby.

Martin said a group of people will be at the observatory at the University of Saskatchewan campus with cups of hot chocolate to warm people up as they peek into one of the telescopes on hand to get the full effect of the eclipse.

Martin also has a suggestion for the amateur sky gazer.

“When you’re using binoculars, it’s almost the best way to look at an eclipse of the moon,” he said.

That’s because the moon’s diameter  is roughly 27 per cent of the earth’s diameter, providing an effect only binocular lenses can produce as it rounds an otherwise flat image.

“With binoculars, and with it turning the colours it does, you actually get a sense of a ball hanging there in space,” Martin said.

“It’s really amazing — it’s just fantastic.”

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Chris Carr.