After approximately two and a half years, the Moon is preparing to turn into a Blood Moon. Observers who look up at the sky this Thursday night will witness Earth’s satellite donning a reddish hue.

The term “Blood Moon” describes the reddish color that the moon takes on during a lunar eclipse, with a color resembling rust. More rarely, this term is also used to signify four total lunar eclipses observable from a specific point within two years.

According to Sciencealert, this event presents a great opportunity for skywatchers, standing out due to the rarity of four consecutive lunar eclipses occurring from the same point, even though typically, four to five total lunar eclipses can be observed from the same location within ten years.

WHY DOES THE BLOOD MOON APPEAR RED? Earth blocks the sunlight, casting a shadow into space. However, the atmosphere allows a certain amount of light to pass through. While gases in the atmosphere scatter some light, particles in the air scatter specific wavelengths more. Particularly, longer red wavelengths tend to be scattered instead of short blue wavelengths. Hence, during a lunar eclipse, a reddish hue forms, similar to sunrise and sunset. A shimmer of rust-colored light appears at the edges of Earth’s shadow cone, causing the moon to turn red.

WHEN CAN THE BLOOD MOON BE OBSERVED? The Moon passes through Earth’s shadow region only a few times a year due to its small size and proximity to Earth. Furthermore, the Moon’s orbit is slightly inclined compared to Earth. When direct sunlight is completely blocked, reddish light passing through Earth’s atmosphere reaches the Moon’s surface, giving it a haunting crimson appearance. Occasionally, a rare event known as the “Super Blue Blood Moon” may occur, where a Super Moon and Blood Moon happen simultaneously. Don’t forget to prepare your telescopes and cameras this Thursday night to witness this unique celestial event!