Millions Are In For A Celestial Trifecta Early Wednesday Morning
DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado will get a front row seat to a rare celestial trifecta early Wednesday morning – and hundreds of people are already signed up to share in the experience at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver.
"This is one of the best places in the world to see it anyway," David Mallery, Director of Bluff Lake Nature Center, said. "We're going to have a great crowd and a great time."
Away from the city lights, Bluff Lake may have one of the best views of the Super Blue Blood Moon. During the cosmic combo, the moon will appear bigger and brighter – that's what makes it 'super.'
It's also called a blue moon because it's the second full moon of a calendar month. The last full moon was on January 1, 2018 – which was also a super moon.
Now the moon won't actually be blue, but it will appear red. That's because of dust in the atmosphere as the moon passes in the earth's shadow, creating a blood moon.
"The lunar eclipse will start at about 5:50 in the morning and go until about 7 o'clock," Samantha Sands, an educator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, explained. (Those times are Mountain Time, by the way!) "Folks on the east coast aren't going to get to see the total eclipse like we will here."
Sands also explained the trifecta treat does have an effect on the moon. It spends a long time in the earth's shadow that the moon cools dramatically.
"Scientists are actually going to be looking through telescopes and using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is a satellite that goes around the moon, to kind of watch and see what happens to the moon during that cooling period," she said.
No special equipment is needed to see the rare lunar lineup – just wake up early, get outside, and look up!
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.