Our Plan For Viewing The 2018 Super Blue Blood Moon

Posted on January 24, 2018, 3:22 pm
5 mins

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The Super Blue Blood Moon is less than a week away. (This is not to be confused with a Super Blueblood Moon. That would be Prince Harry’s bare derriere.) The Super Blue Blood Moon is a rare coincidence of lunar events happening January 31.

The good news: The west coast is in a prime location to see it all. Those on the eastern half of the continent will not see the full event, because the moon will set before the eclipse ends. The bad news: It all happens in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, between 3:48am and 7:11am PST.

What’s the Big Deal?

As a refresher, a blue moon is the second full moon of the month. A super moon occurs when a new or full moon coincides with its perigee. And a blood moon is a synonym for a lunar eclipse, and so named because of the red glow it acquires in earth’s penumbra.

None of these events are all that uncommon on their own. The last Super Blood Moon visible from the United States was in September 2015, but the last Super Blue Blood Moon in the Western Hemisphere was in 1866. The next one will be in December 2047 (assuming that human calendars still exist then lol).

For all true lunatics who want to get into the hype, we recommend some preparations.

So excited.

Set Your Alarms Accordingly

The total eclipse begins at 4:51am, so setting one’s alarm a little before then is an obvious first step. Mid-eclipse isn’t until 5:30am, and the total eclipse goes partial again at 6:07am, so you actually have a significant window of time to see it. And because the moon appears larger when near the horizon, seeing the latter half of it isn’t such a bad idea.

Drink Lots of Water The Night Before

Sometimes alarm clocks just don’t do the trick, especially on extra early mornings. If your bladder is in good working order, congratulations—you can make your own personal wake-up call. Drink a lot of water before turning in on Tuesday night. Your skin will have an added glow, your gut will be happy, and you will actually get up for the eclipse…or sooner.

If you want to be even more on point, drink rooibos tisanes instead. The ruddy color of is just right for the Blood Moon, and it’s caffeine free.

Pray For Clear Skies

One should emotionally prepare for the possibility that it will be too overcast to see the Super Blue Blood Moon in Seattle. It won’t be worth it to go back to bed if you get up early What to do with those extra hours (or hour if you have a long commute)?

For those who love yoga and fitness, why not take time for a good Chandra Namaskar? If you don’t take time to meditate and relax regularly, don’t hop right on social media. Start your humpday by getting centered.

Maybe none of that clicks with you. If you want a movie recommendation, try Louis Malle’s Black Moon (1975). Because it’s part of the Criterion Collection, you can stream it on FilmStruck. (U.S. residents who don’t subscribe yet can get a 14-day free trial.)

Why Black Moon? Well, there are precious few Blood-Moon-related movie titles that aren’t cheesy or gory. Black Moon is a dreamy, surrealist vision led by intuition rather than rationality (or plotlines in general), so it may actually make more sense to viewers who are still only half awake. (Its slow movement may actually put you back to sleep, though, so either set another alarm or have some black coffee to go with it.)

Tough Week? Have A Bloody Mary

Yea. We know. It’ll be 5am here, but it will be exactly 5pm (AKA HAPPY HOUR) on the other side of the globe, where they aren’t able to see this event. It’s only proper to have a Bloody Mary in their honor. And if you are light on the vodka and heavy on the veggie garnishes, it’s really a sensible breakfast, too. Get inspired with some eccentric recipes at Liquor.com.

 

T.s. Flock is a writer and arts critic based in Seattle and co-founder of Vanguard Seattle.