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WHEN TO SEE IT
The timing of Jan. 31 lunar eclipse
There are only 12 minutes to see the moon in total eclipse early Wednesday morning.
Wed. Jan. 31 at 5:48 a.m. - Partial eclipse begins, moon starts to turn red.
Wed. Jan 31 at 6:51 a.m. - Total eclipse begins, moon turns completely red. Moon will be close to the horizon, so you will need a free sight line to the west/northwest.
Wed. Jan. 31 at 7:03 a.m. - Moonset for Chicago, eclipse no longer visible.
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BLUE MOON AND SUPER MOON
Adding to the total lunar eclipse is the fact that this is also a "Blue Moon" and a "Super Moon". This will be the first time in 150 years that the super blue moon has coincided with a lunar eclipse.
A Blue Moon means that it is the second full moon in the same month. There was a full moon on January 1.
A Super Moon is a term given to a full moon that occurs when the moon is at one of its closest points to the earth. The moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical. At one point in its orbit, it is farther away from the Earth. On the opposite point in its orbit, it is closest to the Earth. The full moon and total eclipse we will see Jan. 31 is when the moon is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit.