~~April 14, 2014~~

‘Blood Moon:’ Red or Orange ‘Pink Full Moon’ and Lunar Eclipse (Tetrad)

Takes Place April 15

The “Blood Moon,” or a moon that can turn red or orange, is slated for April 15–along with a lunar eclipse. The rare sight from Earth is attracting a lot of attention, partly because it’s the first major celestial phenomenon since early January.

It’s also the beginning of “an extraordinary series of lunar eclipses,” according to the United States space agency, NASA. That series is four consecutive total eclipses occurring at approximately six month intervals.

After the one on April 15, another will follow on October 8 of this year.

The third is slated for April 4, 2015; and the fourth September 28, 2015.

bloodmoon

The moon turns red on June 15, 2011, as seen from Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

This series is referred to by experts as a lunar eclipse tetrad.

“The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA,” said longtime NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak in a post on the agency’s website. Usually, about two lunar eclipses happen per year, but not all of them are total. Some are barely visible while others are partial eclipses.

The eclipse on April 15 will begin at 2 a.m. EDT when the edge of the Moon first enters the amber core of Earth’s shadow. Totality occurs during a 78 minute interval beginning around 3 a.m. in the morning on the east coast (midnight on the west coast).

Weather permitting, the red Moon will be easy to see across the entirety of North America.

Why Does the Moon Turn Red?

NASA explains why the moon will likely turn red.

“A quick trip to the Moon provides the answer: Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky. Overhead hangs Earth, night-side down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway.

“You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it’s not. The rim of the planet is on fire! As you scan your eye around Earth’s circumference, you’re seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth’s shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.”

The name “Blood Moon” isn’t usually identified as an official astronomical term; it comes from hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the winter ahead. “You can picture them: silent figures padding through the forest, the moon overhead, pale as a corpse, its cold light betraying the creatures of the wood,” according to NASA.

Pink Moon?

Another term that is used to refer to this full moon is the Full Pink Moon.

That doesn’t refer to the moon turning pink.

Instead, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the first full moon in April is dubbed thus. “This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring,” says the Almanac.

“Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.”

The name comes from Native Americans. It doesn’t mean the moon will be pink in color, but it refers to the color of the flowers.

Exploring Lunar Eclipse Tetrads

Over the past 5,000 years, 142 of these tetrads have occurred. Before the one that will happen this year and next year, the last one happened in 2003 and 2004. During the present millennium, the first eclipse of every tetrad occurs sometime from February to July. In later millennia, the first eclipse date gradually falls later in the year because of change in the Earth’s orbit.

NASA explains that Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli first pointed out that the frequency of tetrads varies over time. For instance, there were no tetrads from 1582 to 1908, but from 1909 to 2156 there are 17.

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada says that after the upcoming tetrad, the next one will take place in 2032 and 2033. The one after that is slated for 2043 and 2044.

All told, there are slated to be six tetrads through 2091, not including the upcoming tetrad.

~~SOURCES~~

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/619494-blood-moon-red-or-orange-pink-full-moon-and-lunar-eclipse-slated-for-april-15/

http://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names

http://brainbender.blogspot.com/2013/03/blood-moon-tetrads.html

List names below for your monthly Full Moon Guide!

Month	Name	Description
January	Full Wolf Moon	This full Moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.
February	Full Snow Moon	Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.
March	Full Worm Moon	At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.
April	Full Pink Moon	This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
May	Full Flower Moon	Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.
June	Full Strawberry Moon	The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.
July	Full Buck Moon	Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. This full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.
August	Full Sturgeon Moon	Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon.
September	Full Corn Moon	This full Moon corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox, which can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
October	Full Hunter’s Moon	This is the month when the leaves are falling and the game is fattened. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long winter ahead. October’s Moon is also known as the Travel Moon and the Dying Moon.
November	Full Beaver Moon	For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon.
December	Full Cold Moon	This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full Moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.