The rare astronomical event where three special occurrences of the Moon – lunar eclipse, blue moon and supermoon - coincide was last observed 152 years ago in 1866. This year, the rare event will take place on 31 January 2018, approximately from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Singapore time, with the greatest eclipse happening around 9:30 p.m. according to a spokesman for the Science Centre Singapore.

Given the rare occurrence of this Super Blue Moon Eclipse, you have a strong reason to ditch your gym and head outside for a night run on 31 Jan.

So, what are a lunar eclipse, blue moon and supermoon?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the earth's shadow. The 31 Jan event will be the first lunar eclipse of the year, while the next lunar eclipse will take place on 28 July 2018. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon will appear in red colour, thus, it’s often called blood moon.

Blue moon happens when there are two full moons in a calendar month. Generally, there is only one full moon in a calendar month. The next blue moon will happen two months later, on 31 March 2018. A blue moon doesn’t mean that the moon appears in blue colour, instead, it’s a name given for its rarity.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon is at its closest distance from the Earth. Hence, the full moon appears extraordinarily bigger than the usual full moon. Supermoon happens every 14 lunar months, and it appears for 3 months in a row. The next supermoons will occur on 21 January, 19 February and 21 March 2019.

Photo Credit: 123RF

Do I need to wear glasses to watch this Super Blue Moon Eclipse?

Contrary to Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse is safe to watch with naked eyes. What you need to do is to pray that the sky will be clear. If you have binoculars, that’ll make your eclipse viewing experience more memorable. With binoculars, you can easily see changes in the Moon's colour as the Earth's shadow moves over it.

No special equipment is necessary for taking pictures of the lunar eclipse. A simple pocket camera or phone camera is good enough.

Do you usually observe the shape of the moon when you run at night? Have you seen lunar eclipse during your run before?