No, “super blood wolf moon eclipse” is not a fictional name, but rather a real phenomenon. The main event is a total lunar eclipse, also known as an eclipse of the moon, which begins late on Sunday, Jan. 20 and finishes early on Monday, Jan. 21. This type of eclipse happens when the moon passes fully into the shadow of Earth, but this time, it takes on a reddish glow during the event, making it a “blood moon.” Since the moon will make its closest approach to Earth on Jan. 20, it appears larger and more full in the sky, which is known as a “supermoon”. Read more for another video and additional information.
Native Americans called the January full moon the “wolf” moon because it normally appeared when the animals howled in hunger outside the villages. This is an age-old practice, as ancient peoples commonly tracked the seasons by following the lunar calendar (versus today’s solar calendar).
“Starting at 9:36 p.m. EST Jan. 20, skywatchers will notice a little notch is taken out of the moon. The moon starts to enter into the earth’s shadow in a portion called the umbra when the sun is totally blocked out. Earth is moving from right to left through the shadow,” said Brian Murphy, director of Indiana’s Holcomb Observatory & Planetarium and Butler University professor.
