For all those fascinated with astronomy and interesting natural occurrences, we have prepared a special treat. Today, we will be talking about blood moon in Nigeria. Find out what it is and when you will be able to see the eclipse from the comfort of your own home. Join us in our journey through space!
What is a blood moon?
First of all, the term ‘blood moon’ is not scientific in the slightest. It is just a term used by regular people to describe a total lunar eclipse, when the moon becomes blood red. During a total lunar eclipse, Earth blocks the sunlight from reaching the moon surface and casts its shadow upon the Moon.
Most of the time, people mean a simple total lunar eclipse when they talk about a blood moon. However, ‘blood moon’ could also describe such phenomenon as a lunar tetrad. A lunar tetrad is a rare occurrence of four total lunar eclipses that happen in the span of two years. It is very uncommon, as there might not be any lunar tetrads for decades or even centuries.
Because of its rareness, lunar tetrad has acquired almost mystical attributes. Some saw this occurrence as a sign from the gods (or God), while others took it as a sure harbinger of apocalypse. As you can see, the Earth is still here, and we are still breathing, so maybe it is just a peculiar cosmic event with no ulterior meaning.
When it comes to determining the date of the next blood moon, it all depends on your definition. If by ‘blood moon’ you mean the lunar tetrad, then you will have to wait for quite a long time. If you missed this occurrence in 2014/2015, then you would get your next chance no sooner than 2032-2033. Consider yourself lucky, though, as some of our ancestors had to wait for centuries for such a miracle.
But if a regular total lunar eclipse is fine by you, then continue reading to find out the exact times and dates of the next total lunar eclipse visible in Nigeria.
Next total lunar eclipse in Nigeria
The nearest total lunar eclipse in Nigeria is not actually all that near. According to NASA, Nigerians will be able to see the blood moon on the night between July 27 and 28, 2018.
Here is the detailed timetable for those who do not want to miss a thing:
The first two events, the penumbral eclipse (a passing of the faint Earth shadow over the moon) and the moonrise will be happening below the horizon, so you will not be able to see them directly. The first phase will happen at 18:14, and the next will follow at 18:58.
Now, the real show starts at 19:24. This time signifies the beginning of the partial eclipse, when the moon just begins to get red. As the moon would be very close to the horizon, make sure you have a clear line of view to the East-southeast.
At 20:30, the moon will be completely red, which will signify the start of total eclipse. At 21:21, total eclipse will be at its maximum capacity. The moon will be closest to the middle of the shadow. At 22:13, total eclipse will be over.
However, if you want to stick around for a little longer, you can also witness the end of partial eclipse at 23:19 and the end of penumbral eclipse at 00:28, July 28.
Now if your friends ask you ‘when is the next lunar eclipse in Nigeria?’, you can link them to our article. Alternatively, you can try out a very pretty and handy countdown clock provided by timeanddate.com. To see it, click here.
Fun facts about blood moon
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To congratulate you for reading until the end of this article, we have prepared seven fascinating facts about the moon eclipse that is also known as blood moon. Here they are:
- Have you ever wondered why the moon looks red during the eclipse? When the sunrays go through the atmosphere of the Earth, some colours are removed by Rayleigh scattering, a phenomenon responsible for making sunsets and sunrises look red. Red wavelengths are the most resilient to this effect, which is why the Moon appears red.
- As a matter of fact, not every lunar eclipse is as red as blood. In order to determine the colour of the moon, scientists invented a special colour scale called Danjon Scale. Zero on this scale stands for dark eclipse, when you can barely see the Moon. The highest number in the scale is four, which represents the most vibrant copper-red eclipse. Blood moon would be a 2 or a 3 on this scale.
- Before 2014-2015, the term ‘blood moon’ was not used that often. Christian pastors John Hagee and Mark Blitz made it popular, when they noticed that the dates of the total lunar eclipses in the 2014/2015 tetrad corresponded with some of the Jewish holidays. They saw it as a divine sign and shared it with the masses.
- Many people (especially Christians and Jews) believed that the blood moon that coincided with Jewish celebrations signified the end of days. However, there have been eight such instances, and yet, the world has not ended.
- Lunar eclipses are limited in time. Even though the whole process of eclipse with its seven stages seems to last forever, the totality (when the moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow) lasts no longer than 1 hour 40 minutes.
- You can actually experience lunar eclipse while being on the Moon. Although, if you are on the moon surface, you will see the Earth engulfed in darkness, as it will obstruct the view of the Sun.
- Eclipses will change in a few million years. As the moon slowly moves away from us (really slowly, 4 cm a year), Earth’s shadow on the Moon’s surface will look different than what we are now used to.
Now you know when the next eclipse in Nigeria is going to be, and you can impress your friends with some awesome blood moon and lunar eclipse facts! The only downside is that you will have to wait for more than half a year to dish them out. In the meantime, you can check out our other articles and find out more about the world around you. Have a nice day!
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Wednesday 15 November 2017