Have you ever observed during a lunar eclipse that the moon suddenly turns red? If yes, then you are a big lucky one, since such a phenomenon happens once every 18 years and not everyone can witness it. But you can see the red moon not only during an eclipse. Previously, a long, long time ago, the red moon was perceived as a harbinger of great troubles and cataclysms that soon awaited people. Now science has already stepped significantly forward, and to explain why the moon is red, for knowledgeable person is not difficult at all.
Why is the moon red
Sunlight, which is refracted by the earth's surface, is to blame for everything. Sunlight is heterogeneous, its streams consist of beams different colors... Each such color has its own individual properties and wavelength. For example, the shortwave rays of the spectrum of blue color reaching the Earth, they are widely dispersed, which makes the sky of our planet blue on a fine sunny day. Long-wavelength rays of the spectrum travel through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the surface of the Moon. Such rays are not widely scattered, as shortwave, and therefore in a large number go to the moon, giving it a red hue. This is why the moon is sometimes red.
Several factors influence the color of the moon. In most cases, this involves the lower layers of the atmosphere, or rather, the smallest dust particles found in near-earth space. They are capable of absorbing and dissipating red and orange colors. Therefore, everything around takes on a rather rich copper hue.
One of the most common occasions when a red moon can be observed is when a given earth satellite hangs low in the sky. This usually happens after emergence or just before the moon sets over the horizon. It turns out the same situation as with the rising and setting of the sun. Like sunlight, the moon also passes through the layers of the atmosphere, and the closer the moon is to the horizon, the larger the area it needs to cover. At the same time, part of the reflected light begins to scatter, from which the moon appears red to earthlings.
The moon does not emit light on its own. However, its surface is capable of easily reflecting light from the sun. During some periods of the cycle lunar phases the sun's rays do not fall on the side of the night star that earthlings see. Therefore, only a thin month in the night sky is visible from the ground.
In some cases, the reddening of the moon can be caused by volcanic eruptions occurring on the earth, which eject columns of ash to a great height. Such cataclysms in our time attract more unpleasant consequences such as canceling flights or evacuating nearby settlements, but the red moon has nothing to do with it.
The color of the moon can also be influenced by its eclipse, while it does not have a total or partial significance. This is because even at this time the moon is illuminated by the sun's rays, which travel along lines that do not touch the earth. Our atmosphere is very susceptible to rays of red and orange, which explains its rich copper hue during an eclipse. This effect is further enhanced by fine dust particles. However, some of the blue color spectrum does make it to the moon. Thanks to this, at the beginning of the eclipse, it is possible to make out the turquoise and blue rim.
Many are interested in the question of when it will be possible to observe the red moon during an eclipse. It is known that eclipses occur in series or tetrads, 4 in a row. There is a break of several months between four eclipses in the tetrad. And already between separate tetrads there is a break of more than 10 years. So, the initial tetrad of the 21st century happened in 2003-2004, and the second in 2014-2015. The next eclipse and, accordingly, the red moon can be expected by 2032.
Interesting fact: although a distance of about 10 years is observed between the tetrads, however, in the period from 1582 to 1908, not a single tetrad happened. The irregularity of this phenomenon was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli.
People have a question why sometimes the moon turns deep red, and whether we will see a similar phenomenon in 2014 or 2015. Here's what is known about the blood moon.
Red moon in astronomy
Official astronomy does not use the expression “ blood moon", Although NASA once referred to the full moon in October as the" blood moon "or" hunting moon. "
V English language the expression "Hunter's Moon" has existed since ancient times. In the fall, hunters chased game, stocking up on meat for the winter. “You can imagine this picture: silent figures making their way through the forest, the moon shining overhead, pale as a corpse, its cold light does not give the animals living in the forest a chance to hide,” writes the NASA website.
It is also the first full moon after autumn equinox.
The dates of the full moon before the autumnal equinox and the "hunting moon" (the first full moon after the autumnal equinox) in 2014 and 2015.
Last full moon before the equinox: September 9 Autumn equinox: September 23 "Hunter's moon" (blood moon): October 8
Autumnal Equinox: September 23rd Nearest Full Moon to Equinox: September 28th "Hunting Moon" (Blood Moon): October 27th
What makes the moon red?
The earth casts a shadow. When you go outside at night, you are in this shadow that stretches for millions of kilometers in space and reaches the moon. The following example is given on the NASA website:
“Imagine that you have a personal spaceship... You have been tasked with taking off at midnight and heading towards the middle of the earth's shadow. Continue flying until you are almost close to the Moon, you will be 200,000 miles from Earth.
Now turn around and look back. From the cockpit window you will see dark side Earth. But it will not be completely dark, the atmosphere around the Earth's contour will appear reddish.
Roughly the same thing happens during sunrise and sunrise on Earth. The ring of light reflects on the shadow of the Earth. As a result, you do not see the total darkness that you might expect. Switch off the lights in the cab. You will see a beautiful red light. "
Tetrad
A series of total lunar eclipses is called a tetrad.
The next tetrad will begin on April 15, 2014. The second blood moon will appear on October 8, the other two - on April 4 and September 28.
Some people, such as Church Pastor John Hage, author of The Four Bloody Moons: Change Coming, attach religious significance to the tetrad, especially since the first two bloody moons coincide with the Passover (Passover) and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Hage told Fox News that the tetrad marks the end of the modern era. “Technically, the end of the world began on the day of the holy trinity 2,000 years ago,” says Hage. “We have been living in the era of the end of the world for a long time.”
Hage popularized the expression "blood moon," meaning four full moons during a tetrad.
“The expression“ blood moon ”in Bible prophecy is popularized by two Christian priests: Mark Blitz and John Hage,” says EarthSky. - They use the expression "bloody moon" to describe the full moons in the future tetrad in 2014 and 2015 - four total lunar eclipses, occurring in a row at intervals of six lunar months(six full moons). Astronomers themselves do not use the term "blood moon" to describe these eclipses. "
Frequency of tetrads
Over the past 5000 years, 142 tetrads have occurred, the last of them in 2003 and 2004.
In this millennium, the first eclipse of each tetrad falls on the period from February to July. In the past millennium, the date of the first eclipse moved closer to the second half of the year. This difference is caused by changes in the Earth's orbit.
According to NASA, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli was the first to discover that tetrads occur irregularly. For example, in the period from 1582 to 1908. there was not a single tetrad, and in the period from 1909 to 2156. there will be 17 of them.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada predicts that after the next tetrad in 2014 and 2015. new tetrads fall in 2032 and 2033, and then in 2043 and 2044.
Until 2091 there will be six tetrads, not counting the forthcoming one.
English version
Good day, Dear friends! If you belong to curious people, and you have repeatedly noticed that the moon often changes its color, then you will like my article.
Today we will find out why the moon is red. Since antiquity, the luminaries in the sky were considered something special and they were given a mystical meaning.
But in modern world there are also quite rational explanations. So, let's find out why the moon changes its color. 
In fact, the moon reflects all the colors that the sun sends out. When mixed, a white disc is displayed. When passing through the layers of the atmosphere, one color remains.
In this case, colors with a short wavelength scatter faster than those with a longer wavelength. Therefore, the moon takes on a red hue.
This happens when the luminary weighs low in the sky - after sunrise or before sunset. The light from it passes at a certain angle.
As a result of the refraction of the sun's rays, the satellite is seen in a certain color... The streams have an inhomogeneous structure and consist of multi-colored beams.
The color can change during dust pollution of the atmosphere, during forest fires, volcanic eruptions or city smog.
With an eclipse, the moon does not completely disappear, but turns red.
Sometimes above the horizon, the lunar disk is enormous. The fact that the moon is dark and large may be an optical illusion.
When located at the horizon, objects can become larger than their actual size.
Signs associated with the red moon
The moon has always been an important subject in the creation of omens. In Mayan culture, various luminaries were associated with a deity. In ancient times, it was believed that the moon has a strong influence on humans.
A particular impact was noted on the full moon. It was believed that on the day when the red satellite is born strong and strong-willed people.
Most often, those born on this day are active at night.
Our ancestors believed that the red star is a harbinger of heavy rain and frost. In the old days, it was believed that such a phenomenon is negatively reflected in the quality of seeds.
There are certain signs and different nations and nationalities. In Africa, for example, you cannot look at the red moon.
It is believed that troubles will affect not only one person, but the whole family, clan or tribe. In this case, all sorts of cataclysms can appear - hunger, war and disease.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the red luminary was a symbol of the imminent invasion of witches.
According to legends at this time, it is forbidden:
- Leave windows open. They need to be screened.
- Go outside at night.
- Sleep in the light from the moon.
- Children and pregnant women should not go outside even during the day.
- You shouldn't go on a trip or see a doctor.
- You shouldn't take alcohol.
Many people confirm that the number of traffic accidents increases with the scarlet satellite. And people at this time become irritable, unrestrained and angry.
Those with mental illness may have particular problems. It is believed that if you drink alcohol these days, you can become an alcoholic.
Earlier, during the periods of the red moon, sorcerers performed their rituals, since it was believed that an unusual phenomenon increases the result several times.
Now you can see when the full moon will be in lunar calendar... This information is important for those who believe that our actions depend on the growth or decline of the satellite.
For a full moon, there are such signs:
- Whistling at this time can provoke separation from the other half.
- A girl can make a wish for the full moon.
- Sorting out a relationship can lead to deeper fights.
- Full moon wedding promises prosperity.
Protection from the red moon
It used to be thought that it was necessary to save oneself from the bloody moon. At the same time, ways were invented to neutralize its impact.
Here's what needed to be done:
- Turn to face her, but do not look at her.
- Spit three times over the left shoulder.
- Bow low.
In addition, to reduce negative impact the luminary was not recommended to look at it, point a finger or talk about it.
A round cake, which was placed in the yard or on the windowsill, could also appease the moon.
It was, as it were, a gift for a luminary, designed to flavor him. Believe it or not the old superstitions is up to you.
What color can the moon be
Most often, the moon is colored white and yellow. A pale hue is produced when sunlight is reflected. In this case, the lighting occurs at a certain angle, so it seems that the surface is lightened.
An ash tint occurs in low light conditions. This phenomenon is observed before and at the end of the new moon.
The color of the moon may change due to being in the atmosphere different particles... A bright red hue can be observed when the satellite enters the Earth's shadow.
The Super Moon could be seen on January 31, 2018. On this day there was an eclipse and the effect of the "blue" moon.
The last time such a phenomenon was in 1866. The eclipse could be observed not only in Russia, but also in Australia, New Zealand and Africa.
There will be five eclipses in total this year. The longest event is to be expected on July 27th.
Until next time, dear blog guests!
Unusual a natural phenomenon- a satellite of the Earth painted in an ominous reddish color - has frightened humanity for several centuries
The partial lunar eclipse on August 7, 2017 turned out to be in the spotlight not only because it can be seen almost throughout Russia, but also because this astronomical phenomenon is quite unusual. To observers-earthlings, the Moon will appear in a burgundy-red color. How can you not be scared?
Great optical illusion
The appearance of the red moon in the sky itself is a spectacular phenomenon and frightening for many, but not so rare. The satellite of our Planet changes its shade due to the fact that it enters the shadow of the Earth and is illuminated only by sunlight that passes through the earth's atmosphere. Due to the fact that the short-wavelength - violet and blue - part of the spectrum is absorbed by it, it remains mainly long-wavelength - red-orange. These rays ultimately make the moon "bloody".
wikimediaThere are years when you can observe several red moons in a row at once. So in 2003 and 2004, and then in 2014 and 2015, the red moon rose twice a year every six months. Such "fours" are called tetrads. Moreover, as scientists have found out, between 1582 and 1908 there were no notebooks at all. Next time we should expect them in 2032 and 2033.
If the moon turned red
For many centuries, the bloody moon frightened people, and astrologers and ancient astronomers often associated this event with the coming apocalypse. They saw in her a harbinger of misfortune, wars, natural disasters... Supporters of the theory of the imminent End of the World, who are waiting for it from year to year, appeal, among other things, to the signs mentioned in the Bible and the lines that “the sun became dark as a hair shirt, and the moon became like blood”. The tetrads especially frighten mystics. NASA, in turn, considers the danger of red moons to be imaginary. The agency also does not see the connection between them and the increased activity of meteorites, which many "prophets" are afraid of.
Many signs and superstitions are associated with the red moon. At least, weather troubles were expected from her, in Russia there was even a saying: "The moon turned red - wait for the wind to blow." Those who saw the "bloody moon" were predicted misfortune, some chance to avoid them was the obligatory spitting over the left shoulder.
On the eve and after the "red moon" they tried not to start new business, not to conclude deals and engagements, not to play weddings, but children, conceived or born under the red moon, according to legends different nations waiting for misfortune. Even drinking alcohol on the bloody moon was considered by our ancestors to be a serious mistake - they say, after that, alcohol dependence will pursue all our lives.
flickr.com Next in line is the 2033rd
The inhabitants of the Earth could observe the most spectacular picture in recent decades on the night of September 28, 2015. Then there was a total lunar eclipse, and the so-called bloody Supermoon was visible - full moon, which, among other things, also approached the Earth at a record close distance. Its disk size was 14% larger than usual.
At the same time, according to many researchers, it is the Supermoon that can be potentially dangerous, and its color has nothing to do with it. Being close to the Earth, it intensifies the gravitational effect on the Planet. This, in turn, can provoke volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Some researchers believe that strong earthquake that happened in September 2015 in Chile could be connected with that September supermoon. We will have to wait for the next one until October 8, 2033 - and it is also expected to be "bloody".
For reference
The partial eclipse of the Moon on August 7, 2017 will begin at 20.24 and will continue until 22:19. by Moscow time. Maximum immersion of the moon in the shadow Earth will happen at 21:21. Unusual phenomenon can be seen in most of Russia. The exceptions will be the regions northwest of Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, where the moon will not have time to rise above the horizon, as well as Chukotka and Kamchatka, where morning will already come.
