Last night was a celestial event that hadn’t been seen in many years.  It was the night of the Super Blue Blood Moon. What does that mean, exactly? It is essential 3 moon events happening all on the same night of a full moon. Let’s break it down:

Super: A full moon appears up to 16% bigger and 30% brighter than normal, because it is at its closest orbital point to the Earth. Referred to as a perigean (pear-ih-jee-un) by astronomers.

Blue: It is the 3rd full moon in a season of 4 full moons or a 2nd full moon in a calendar month.

Blood: A total lunar eclipse that causes the moon to have a red tint.

The last time a super moon was seen was last month on Dec 3rd, 2017. The last time a blue moon and blood moon was seen on the same night was back in 1866. The full event was best viewed on the West Coast, but other could still enjoy the look of the large moon on a clear night like the photo I took above. If you miss this event, you can see the next super blood moon on Jan 21, 2019 (though it won’t be a blue moon).  I’ll be sure to mark my calendar. To learn more about super moons, visit the NASA ScienceCast Youtube page. What celestial event are you excited to see next? Leave a comment below.