The interweb’s been buzzing as the stars align this week to bring us a very special series of moon-related cosmic treats. In fact, there are three very rare and important things you need to know about the full moon on January 31:
There will be a super moon There will be a blue moon; and There will be an eclipse.It’s worth noting that it’s been 150 years since a moon was packing this much heat at the one time.
Fark.
But what does all this mean? Well, during the evening of January 31 you’ll notice a big shiny moon in the sky, 15% bigger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon. This is the ‘supermoon’, and means higher tides for coastal regions as the moon is the closest to Earth it ever gets. Pretty impressive, right?
This moon is also the second full moon of the month, technically known as a ‘blue moon’. Fun fact: Blue moons are actually more common than you probably think, rolling around once every 2.7ish years. The odds of a blue moon coinciding with a supermoon, however, is exceptionally rare. But wait, there's more.
Finally, this super/blue phenomenon’s lightshow is going to be interrupted as Earth travels between sun and moon, resulting in a lunar eclipse. Look out for the moon turning a reddy-brown colour as it reflects back the light bouncing off Earth, which photos of previous eclipses tell me make it look like an old Jaffa.
So there you have it; a super blue-blood moon is coming our way. If you can, cast your peepers skyward on Jan 31, as it's a fair old wait until this astronomical phenomenon happens again...
Meanwhile back on earth, here are the biggest wellness trends you'll be seeing plenty of in 2018.