by Keith Loh, staff reporter
Though the moon may have turned blood red, werewolves won’t be running amuck, nor will zombies rise from their graves.
While lunar eclipses aren’t too rare, on September 28th, there was a phenomenon that last occurred thirty three years ago. Not only was the moon brighter and larger, it was also red. This is commonly referred to as a blood moon.
Since the moon orbits the Earth, like how the Earth orbits the sun, when the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth, which is called the umbra, the moon disappears almost entirely from view. This alignment is called syzygy.
Some may have noticed that, during the eclipse, the moon could still be faintly seen. The difference between a new moon and a lunar eclipse is that, during a new moon, it can’t be seen at all. That is why the moon appears to be crimson. When the rays of light from the sun pass through the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is manages to reach and reflect off the surface of the moon. This is what makes it appear red.
“If this is what a blood moon looks like, I can’t wait for a solar eclipse,” senior Binnah Cha said.
There was a Mid-Autumn Festival that was celebrated during the rise of the blood moon. It is the second most important day of the year to the Chinese besides the lunar new year which is the Chinese new year. On this day, mooncakes, which are a bakery delicacy are traditionally eaten, which is why it is also referred to as mooncake day.
“Though I’m not the biggest fan of mooncakes, my family loves to eat them,” senior Maryann Liu said.
For those who missed this phenomenon, there won’t be another one for decades. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen in the U.S will be in August 21, 2017, sooner than that of the next blood moon.
