January 2018 lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse occurred on 31 January 2018. The Moon was near its perigee on 30 January and as such may be described as a "supermoon", when the Moon's distance from the Earth is less than 360,000 km (223,694 miles). The previous supermoon lunar eclipse was in September 2015.
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
Totality as viewed from Lomita, California | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | 31 January 2018 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Gamma | −0.3014 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.3155 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 124 (49 of 74) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 76 minutes, 4 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 202 minutes, 44 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 317 minutes, 12 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
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During the total lunar eclipse of Wednesday, 31 January 2018, the Moon was 360,202 km (only 202 km to be a Super Full Moon) (223,819 mi) from the Earth. A blue moon occurs because there are 2 full moons in the same calendar month, or if there are 4 full moons in the same season (third of four is blue moon). As this supermoon was also a blue moon (the second full moon in a calendar month), it was referred to as a "super blue blood moon"; "blood" refers to the typical red color of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. The 31 January, 2018 lunar event was called 'Trifecta'. This coincidence last occurred on 30 December 1982 for the eastern hemisphere, and otherwise before that on 31 March 1866. The next occurrence will be on 31 January 2037, one metonic cycle (19 years) later.