I woke up early this morning to witness a celestial wonder: a lunar eclipse. But not just any lunar eclipse, a full 1. And not just any full lunar eclipse, but a red 1. AND not just any red full lunar eclipse, but 1 that’s part of a tetrad – an uncommon series of 4 lunar eclipses that occur over a 2-year period. AND (last 1 I swear) not only was it a red full lunar eclipse included in a tetrad, but it also participated in a scarcely seen event called a selenelion- the opportunity to view a blood moon and sunrise simultaneously.
This morning’s sky was extremely rare due to the list of conditions necessary to view it:
- No clouds or precipitation
- Sun, moon, and earth align
- Viewing from a high enough elevation
- Clear line of sight to the east and west
- Be on the right side of the world at the right time
- Be awake early AF
Lucky for me I qualified and had an exclusive front row seat to the cosmic art show.
According to some outspoken Christian pastors, the fact that 4 such “Blood Moons” will occur between April 2014 and September 2015 serves as a Biblical prophecy that something earth shattering is about to happen (unsurprisingly there’s Bible quote interpretations to back them up)… I assume they’re talking about the CyberProps app release which happens to fall right in the middle of that timeframe.
All religious affiliations aside, this red lunar eclipse, moon-set sunrise combo was a wondrous and thought provoking sight. Here’s my proof:
The above pics are my self-created time-lapse from beginning to end including the total eclipse in the middle (between 5-6:30am CST).
#nofilter
Ok, so my iphone camera doesn’t have a telescope zoom. Let’s say I was sitting in the balcony and not the front row. After seeing my lunar progression pics I’m sure you’re feeling validated in your decision to sleep in instead.
It looked legit in person though. Guess it was 1 of those “you had to be there” moments.
Props to the Blood Moon and all of nature’s phenomenon that remind us that experiences in real life trump digitized replicas every time. There’s undocumentable feelings evoked when you see a stunning eclipse, colorful sunset, starry night sky, or any vast landscape that even the best panorama can’t capture. That being said, I’m sure the world of social media will have a plethora of pics much clearer than mine, so even if you slept in and weren’t there you’ll still be able to share in the experience.
- The Blood Moon 2014 - October 8, 2014