Rise of the 'Blood Moons':
Rare Alignments of Mars, Earth and the Sun 'Associated with Major Religious Events' Begin This Week
- Next week begins the start of the 'Tetrad,' a series of lunar eclipses
- The four 'blood-red' moons are followed by six full moons
- The cycle finishes at the end of September 2015
- It coincides with an alignment of Earth, Mars and the sun
- The chance alignment has only happened three times in the last 500 years
- Some Christians believe the Tetrad, is a signal the end of the world is near
- Tetrads are associated with significant religious events
By Daily Mail UK, 9 April 2014
If you spotted an orange-coloured 'star' on Tuesday night, then you were probably looking at Mars.
In fact, the event you witnessed was rare - for the first time in 778 days, Mars, Earth and the sun aligned in an 'opposition of the planets.'
To scientists this is a unique but ultimately meaningless arrangement, but to a Christian minority, it marks the the beginning of significant events - even the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The unusual alignment of the sun, Earth and Mars Tuesday night happened a week before the
beginning of another astrological event that some believe is associated with the end of the world
The significance of the arrangement is that it happened exactly a week before the first of four dark red 'blood moons,' which some Christians believe marks a cycle associated with the end of the world.
John Hagee, a Christian pastor who has written a book on the Tetrad called 'Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change' said that Tuesday night marked the dawn of a 'hugely significant event' for the world.
'This is not something that some religious think tank has put together,' the notoriously outspoken church founder said.
'Nasa has confirmed that the Tetrad has only happened three times in more than 500 years — and that it's going to happen now.'
Also known as the 'Tetrad', since it involves four successive total 'blood-red' lunar eclipses each followed by six full moons, Nasa has confirmed it started Tuesday night and will end on September 28, 2015.
In the 21st century, tetrads are a frequent occurrence, with nine sets in total, but this has not always been the case.
From 1600 to 1900, for example, there were none at all.
Next week begins a cycle known as the 'Tetrad,' which involves a series of four dark red 'blood moons.'
At the end of the cycle in September 2015, some believe the end of the world will happen
The Book of Joel in the King James Bible prophesied about the blood moons and the end of the world: 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD comes.'
According to Mr Hagee, each time the Tetrad has happened during that time, there has been a significant religious event accompanied with it.
In 1493, the first Tetrad saw the expulsion of Jews by the Catholic Spanish Inquisition.
The second happened in 1949, right after the State of Israel was founded.
And the most recent one, in 1967, happened during the Six-Day War between Arabs and Israelis.
This graphic explains why Mars was so visible to the naked eye on Tuesday night
Mr Hagee said the the first of the blood moons will happen on April 15, right in the middle of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
The second, on October 8, occurs during the Feast of the Tabernacle.
The third will be on April 4, 2015, also during Passover.
The final one happens on September 28, 2015, also during the Feast of the Tabernacles.
WHAT IS A LUNAR ECLIPSE?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in the shadow of Earth.
This is an area known as the umbra, where light from the Sun is blocked by our planet.
The light refracts differently in the atmosphere and, as it hits the moon, it makes it appear red.
This gives rise to its ‘blood red’ appearance during a total eclipse, when the entire moon is in shadow.
If it skirts the shadow, known as a partial or penumbral eclipse, the effect is less dramatic.