Crowds of inquisitive stargazers opted to brave freezing temperatures of up to —38 C while standing outdoors to enjoy a lunar phenomenon commonly referred to as a super blood wolf moon.
The rare event corresponds to the state of the Earth being sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon, with the light colour spectrum being accordingly refracted through particle elements accounting for the orange and reddish parts of the celestial body being the only ones visible from the Earth.
As it appears this January, when wolves used to howl from hunger in the wild, the phenomenon earned the name wolf moon, according to a report by the Farmer’s Almanac.
The red eclipse was visible from Britain, North and South America, as well as western and northern Europe, with Twitter users eagerly sharing their photographic reports. The best viewing time was around 5.12am in the UK, with the body reaching its maximum eclipse as it was completely submerged in the Earth’s shadow.
Bloodmoon spotting in #Amsterdam pic.twitter.com/F2tRyj60G8
— Amsterdam Explorer (@Amsterdamexplor) 21 января 2019 г.
blood moon. I froze taking these pics but here’s a good one pic.twitter.com/fNB9HlJgZi
— kev hammond (@walmaart) 21 января 2019 г.
blood moon (2019) pic.twitter.com/Zrx5YlyoTR
— yosnier (@Yosnier_) 21 января 2019 г.
Some shots from my backyard, ✨
— Simyk Huizaar (@Simykhuizaar) 21 января 2019 г.
She’s beautiful tonight #bloodmoon pic.twitter.com/mTyYZ3PbWI
Here blood moon from Alaska! pic.twitter.com/k4CSz6Ogqa
— Xusho Wolf 🎉🎆🎉 (@XushoWolf) 21 января 2019 г.
Whoa Blood Moon is crazy here. Also it seems all my vanquished enemies are back. pic.twitter.com/k7UqJrkBJj
— GrandPOObear (@GrandPOOBear) 21 января 2019 г.
Many blamed the poor quality of their shots on sub-zero temperatures, but nevertheless opted to secure a couple of amateurish snaps as mementos. The cold was so severe in some parts of the US, that many lunar eclipse festivities were cancelled altogether:
The blood moon is happening the same night as temperatures are expected to drop to —38 C/-36.4 F.
— blade is depressing so why is it my fave (@SpadiIIe) 21 января 2019 г.
Someone, somewhere, is having a JRPG final boss fight. And I’m jealous.
Many invited their subscribers and other sky-gazers to look up at the sky and exchange some message with it, be it a spell or a much cherished wish.
Tonight’s rare & stunning #BloodMoon marks the alignment of the earth moon and sun and the beginning of a new 2-year eclipse cycle. Look up to the sky & exchange a message with it — a spell, a wish, whatever. A small positive thought to start the new cycle can only create good! x pic.twitter.com/ZJod9TNIjm
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) 21 января 2019 г.
Looking at the blood moon through a telescope pic.twitter.com/E0afxYJPhW
— Miserable Mel 📉 (@HeavenSentMel) 21 января 2019 г.
Some. meanwhile, couldn’t help cracking jokes on the subject:
My chum John Tolson has spotted the blood moon… 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ws2PBj6HNj
— Alex B Cann (@alexbcann) 21 января 2019 г.
The #bloodmoon is spectacular.#bloodmoon2019 pic.twitter.com/pM3QPl0R8l
— ant. (@FattusAntus) 21 января 2019 г.
wow the super wolf blood moon is so majestic pic.twitter.com/mXK5shHc9j
— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) 21 января 2019 г.
The Blood Moon is just Sakurai revealing the next Smash character. pic.twitter.com/dXQPVyNaZS
— Sandy Gordon⭐️ (@Bandygrass) 21 января 2019 г.
Astronomers and sky-gazers were especially interested in this year’s sight, as it became the last of its kind for two years. However, the phenomenon was much debated not only by scientists, but conspiracy theorists as well, who enthusiastically picked up on moon-related Biblical prophecies with the theme.
I didn’t think I would get it but here it is. Blood Moon 1/20/19 🌕☄️ pic.twitter.com/PDQf3MndFc
— Andres (@nvkonphotos) 21 января 2019 г.
For instance, the Books of Joel, Acts and Revelation in the King James Bible all portray the blood moon as a precursor of the arrival of the Lord and Judgement Day:
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come”, Chapter 2 of the Book of Acts reads, while the Book of Revelation continues along the same lines:
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind”.
This has triggered speculation among conspiracy theorists, including Megachurch Pastor Hagee, who has brought up the omen, reiterating the biblical predictions more than once over the past few years; and some Twitterians seem to remember this well enough:
I see a blood moon a-risin, I see Armageddon on the way! I hear John Hagee saying, I think the rapture will come today! Don’t go out tonight or your bound to get a fright, there’s a blood moon on the rise!
— thebaptistpope (@thebaptistpope1) 21 января 2019 г.
16 minutes until full blood moon. Armageddon begins. Let's do it!!!!!!!!!!!
— badluck (@badluck_jones) 21 января 2019 г.
hope this blood moon is the catalyst for armageddon that y’all saying it is
— حبيب (@GLUGMON) 21 января 2019 г.
