Super Blue Blood-Moon: What you need to know

We have a skywatcher trifecta coming at the end of January: a Blue Moon, a total lunar eclipse and a supermoon.

According to Space.com, “A Blue Moon is when two full moons happen in the same calendar month; lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes into Earth’s shadow; and supermoons happen when the moon’s perigee — its closest approach to Earth in a single orbit — coincides with a full moon. In this case, the supermoon also happens to be the day of the lunar eclipse.”

The supermoon will hit first on January 30 at around 2 a.m.

Next will be the Blue Moon. The first full moon of January took place just after the New Year and the second will take over the sky on January 31 into the morning of February 1. It happens about once every 2 years.

To put a cherry on top, the lunar eclipse will actually take place during the Blue Moon. “Unlike solar eclipses, which are only visible from specific places on Earth, lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere it is nighttime,” Space.com reported.

In Colorado, between 3:51 a.m. to 6:29 a.m. will be the best time to catch the eclipse.

For more information on this stargazer’s delight, visit Space.com.