Blood Moon Rises: Incredible Pictures of Total Lunar Eclipse Reveal Stunning Red Disc Illuminating the Night Sky
- Last night marked first of four blood moons, followed by six full moons
- It's an extremely rare astrological event known as a Tetrad
- The striking red moon was most visible across North and South America
- Looks red because the Earth's atmosphere scatters the sun's red light
- It's the same process that makes the sky appear red at sunset
- The Tetrad cycle finishes at the end of September in 2015
- Some Christians believe the Tetrad is a signal the end of the world is near
By Sarah Griffiths and Mark Prigg, Daily Mail UK, 15 April 2014
The first of four 'blood moon' eclipses lived up to expectations, proving an eerie sight across North and South America overnight as the moon was illuminated a deep red.
The four-stage event, known as a 'Tetrad', is also believed to mark the the beginning of significant events - even the the end of the world - in some religions.
The awe-inspiring spectacle occurs when the Earth's shadow passes over the moon - and it will happen three more times over the next two years as part of this cycle. The next Tetrad cycle won't occur until 2032.
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Extremely rare: It's only the third time the chance alignment has occurred in 500 years
Some Christians are concerned that the celestial event could mark the start of terrible events, based on a passage from the Bible that says:
Quote:
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'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes.'
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Although lunar eclipses happen multiple times in a year during a full moon, this eclipse is a particularly fortunate viewing opportunity for North America.
Blood moon rising: The opening stages of one of the world's rarest astrological events
Set alight: as the Lunar eclipse continued, it appeared as though the moon was being illuminated from within
Captivating: Stargazers the world over were transfixed by the rare event
Since the Earth's Western Hemisphere is facing the moon during the eclipse, the continent was in prime position to view it from start to finish. The eclipse also coincided with night time in North America.
The entire continent won't be able to witness a full lunar eclipse in its entirety again until 2019.
'Sometimes they'll happen and you'll have to be somewhere else on Earth to see them,' Noah Petro, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter deputy project scientist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre, said before the event.
Beautiful: The moment was most visible across North and South America, like here above the Independence Monument in Mexico City
Fireball: The lunar eclipse was most visible in North and South America, like El Salvador and Brazil
A bad omen? Some Christians were concerned that the strange celestial event (pictured) could mark the start of terrible events and drew on a passage from the Bible that says: 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes'
Phases: Although lunar eclipses happen multiple times in a year during a full moon, this eclipse is a particularly unusual viewing opportunity for
North America. This composite image shows the transition during the total lunar eclipse from the bottom left-hand corner to the top left
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A 'BLOOD RED' 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 appears 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.
When the moon first enters the Earth's partial shadow, know as the penumbra, a dark shadow begins to creep across the moon.
This gives the illusion that the moon is changing phases in a matter of minutes instead of weeks.
At the eclipse's peak, the moon enters the Earth's full shadow; the umbra.
At this stage, the Earth's atmosphere scatters the sun's red visible light; the same process that turns the sky red at sunset.
As a result, the red light reflects off the moon's surface, casting a reddish rust hue over it. It's not often that we get a chance to see our planet's shadow, but a lunar eclipse gives us a fleeting glimpse. During these rare events, the full moon rapidly darkens and then glows red.
At the eclipse's peak the moon entered the Earth's full shadow, the umbra. At this stage, the Earth's atmosphere scattered the sun's red visible light - the same process that turns the sky red at sunset.
As a result, the red light reflected off the moon's surface, casting a reddish rust hue over it.
'It's a projection of all the Earth's sunsets and sunrises onto the moon,' Mr Petro said.
The moon is seen as it nears a total lunar eclipse in Venice, California. People across North
and South America were able to witness the first of four in a rare Tetrad of eclipses over the next two years
An airliner crosses the moon's path above Whittier, California approximately one hour before
the total lunar eclipse, which some people believe signifies the beginning of a number of significant religious event
'It's a very subtle effect, and if any part of the moon is illuminated in the sun, you can't really see it.'
'They don't happen all the time, and the sky has to be clear. It really gives you a chance to look at the moon changing.'
However, some believe the eclipse has larger significance.
'Nasa has confirmed that the Tetrad has only happened three times in more than 500 years — and that it's going to happen now.'
Taking in the view: Astronomers in North and South America are thought to be viewing the blood moon from
2.06 EST (7.06 GMT) to around 4.24 EST (9.24 GMT). Here, people watch the 'blood moon' rising over the water in Melbourne, Australia
No show: The total eclipse is visible over most of North America,
but not in most of Europe, Africa and Asia, as explained by this map
Nasa has confirmed the Tetrad started on Tuesday night and will end on September 28, 2015.
Tetrads are a relatively frequent occurrence in the 21st century, with nine sets in total, but this has not always been the case. From 1600 to 1900, for example, there were none at all.
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.
The unusual alignment of the sun, Earth and Mars happened a week before the beginning
of the astrological event that some believe is associated with the end of the world
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.
Mr Hagee said the first of the blood moons takes place right in the middle of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
The second, on October 8, occurs during the Feast of the Tabernacle and the third will be on April 4, 2015, also during Passover.
The final one happens on September 28, 2015, which is also during the Feast of the Tabernacles.
END
NB:
The bible says, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon turns to blood...and then the great and terrible day of The Lord shall come!
It doesn't say anything about the end of the world! - Ladybbird
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