Special lunar eclipse: 'Super blue blood moon' lights up sky

KARACHI: The triple lunar event was seen on Wednesday as a blue moon, super moon and total eclipse blood moon, lighting up the sky in some parts of the country after 151 years.

People at some  parts on the Earth had an opportunity to witness all three lunar events at once, while most countries missed out to see the triple lunar event, that was last seen in 1866.

It was visible in some parts of Pakistan, Russia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and Australia, US, northeastern Europe. The total phase of this lunar eclipse, also known as Blood Moon, was seen  penumbral at 15.51 PST, an official of Met Office.

While the partial eclipse  began at 16.48 PST whereas the total eclipse started at 17.52 PST, however, the greatest eclipse time was 18.31 PST. The total eclipse ended at 19.08 PST, partial eclipse at 20.11 PST, and penumbral eclipse at 21.08 PST. 

'Super blue blood moon'

A blue moon is called when the moon is full, and  occurring twice in the calendar month. The moon is on a 28-day cycle so that only happens once in a while – or, as you might say, once in a blue moon.

While the supermoon appears larger and brighter than usual as it's especially close to the Earth, during these times, the moon can appear 17 percent larger than it does at its furthest point in its orbit.

The moon doesn't orbit Earth in a perfect circle – it's an ellipse, which means there are times during the orbit that it is thousands of miles closer to Earth than others, A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth's shadow moves across the Moon, blocking out the light from the Sun.