The concept that a blood moon is a portent of the beginning of the end times stems from Joel’s book, which says, “the sun will turn to darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord approaches.” This prophecy was repeated by Peter on Pentecost, as recorded in Acts, albeit Peter claims that the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy occurred on the day of Pentecost, not at a later date. “And I beheld after he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood,” says verse 12 of the Book of Revelation chapter 6 verses 1113.
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When a crimson moon appears, what happens?
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red due to the same process that causes our sky to be blue and our sunsets to be red. Rayleigh scattering is the name for this phenomenon. Light travels in waves, and the physical properties of different colors of light vary. Because blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light, it is scattered more easily by particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Red light, on the other hand, goes through the atmosphere more directly. We see blue light throughout the sky when the Sun is overhead. When the Sun sets, however, the light must travel further and pass through more atmosphere before reaching our sight. Longer-wavelength red, orange, and yellow light pass through as the Sun’s blue light scatters.
The Moon turns red during a lunar eclipse because the only sunlight reaching it travels through Earth’s atmosphere. The redder the Moon appears during the eclipse, the more dust or clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s as if the Moon is being projected with all of the world’s sunrises and sunsets.
What is the story behind a crimson moon?
On January 21, millions of people will be able to witness a lunar eclipse, also dubbed as a “blood moon” in the media.
During an eclipse, the full moon moves into the sun’s shadow, darkening the Earth for a brief instant. However, some sunlight is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the moon, lighting it with an ashen to dark crimson hue, depending on atmospheric conditions.
As an astronomy communicator, the term “blood moon” irritates me since it implies something other than a lunar eclipse and conjures up visions of a moon shimmering in scarlet red hues, which is far from factual. As a cultural astronomer, though, the word exemplifies some of the fascinating ways in which modern culture constructs its sky stories.
Lunar eclipses have captivated societies all over the world, inspiring a plethora of myths and stories, many of which present the event as a foreboding omen. This is not unexpected, because anything that disrupts the Sun’s or Moon’s regular rhythms has a significant impact on us and our lives.
Lunar malevolence
Many ancient cultures saw the “blood moon” as a sign of impending doom. The intense crimson coloration was seen by the Incas as a jaguar attacking and devouring the moon. They thought the jaguar would then turn its attention to Earth, so they would yell, shake their spears, and let their dogs yelp and howl in the hopes of scaring the jaguar away.
A moon eclipse was regarded as a direct attack on the ruler in ancient Mesopotamia. They would appoint a proxy king for the length of the eclipse if they could forecast it with reasonable accuracy. The real king would go into hiding and wait for the eclipse to pass, while someone considered replaceable (it wasn’t a popular profession) pretended to be the monarch. The proxy king would then vanish, and the old king would be restored.
Lunar eclipses are said to be the result of the demon Rahu drinking the elixir of immortality, according to Hindu mythology. The sun and moon decapitate Rahu right away, but Rahu’s head is everlasting because he drank the elixir. Rahu’s head, seeking vengeance, pursues the sun and moon, intending to eat them. We’ll get an eclipse if he catches them. Rahu swallows the moon, which returns from his cut neck.
A moon eclipse brings bad luck to many individuals in India. Cleansing rites are conducted and food and water are covered. To protect their unborn child, pregnant mothers should avoid eating and doing domestic chores.
A friendlier face
However, not all eclipse tales are plagued by such evil. The California Native American Hupa and Luiseo tribes believed that the moon was injured or sick. The moon would need to be healed after the eclipse, either by the moon’s wives or by tribesmen. For example, the Luiseo sang and chanted healing hymns to the darkened moon.
The legend of the Batammaliba people of Togo and Benin, Africa, is even more inspiring. A lunar eclipse is traditionally viewed as a struggle between the sun and the moon, which the people must encourage to be resolved. As a result, it is a time for ancient feuds to be settled, a practice that has persisted to this day.
Eclipses are usually regarded without superstition in Islamic civilizations. Because the sun and moon are revered in Islam, specific prayers are recited during eclipses, including a Salat-al-khusuf, or “prayer on a lunar eclipse.” It simultaneously begs Allah’s forgiveness and affirms Allah’s majesty.
A misleading history
Returning to the subject of blood, Christians have long associated lunar eclipses with God’s wrath and the crucifixion of Jesus. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring season, ensuring that an eclipse cannot occur on Easter Sunday, which could be a sign of Judgement Day.
Indeed, following the publication of Christian evangelist John Hagee’s book Four Blood Moons in 2013, the term “blood moon” became popular. He supports the “blood moon prophesy,” an apocalyptic belief based on a lunar sequence of four complete eclipses that happened in 2014/15. All four fell on Jewish holidays, according to Hagee, which has only happened three times before, each of which was supposedly accompanied by bad events.
Mike Moore (General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel) refuted the prophesy in 2014, although the word is still widely used in the media and has become a concerning synonym for a lunar eclipse. It’s difficult for science communicators to convince people that the so-called “blood moon” is nothing to be afraid of, given the lingering myths. It’s stunning, and it’s the longest eclipse in a century, but it’s still just an eclipse.
So, just as the Hindu folktale of Rahu provides a legendary depiction of lunar orbital mechanics, we combine superstition with science by adopting the term “blood moon.” The “blood moon” piques curiosity in the sky and lunar eclipses, but rather than expecting doom and gloom, we should see it as a gigantic display of our solar system’s intriguing and genuine dynamics, as the Islamic interpretation suggests.
So here’s my advice: keep an eye on the moon eclipse as it unfolds above you. Give it a unique name and significance, then share it with your friends and family. And I believe you’ll agree that the term “blood moon” does not adequately describe the beauty of what you’re witnessing.
The Conversation has given permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license. Read the full article here.
What is the frequency of blood moons?
A Blood Moon is shrouded in mystery and folklore. The science behind a Blood Moon is actually quite simple. It is sometimes connected with rituals and witches, but the science behind it is actually quite basic. So, what creates a crimson moon, you might wonder?
To begin, you must first recognize a Blood Moon, which is a straightforward task. When viewing a blood moon, you can observe that it has a copper or reddish color, therefore the name “blood moon.”
During a total lunar eclipse, a blood moon occurs. When the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun, it casts a big shadow on the Moon, causing it to become dark. When the Moon is in the Full Moon stage, total lunar eclipses occur. This indicates that the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon are in a perfectly straight line. None of them are slightly out of alignment or on a different plane than the others.
We can see the Moon despite the fact that the Earth is casting a shadow on it during a total lunar eclipse, which occurs during a Blood Moon. Because the Sun is still shining and light beams curve around the Earth, we can see the moon. In truth, our atmosphere bends light, causing some of the Sun’s rays to fall on the Moon’s surface.
The sunlight is filtered and scattered as it goes through the Earth’s atmosphere and is bent. Shorter wavelengths of light are refracted and directed towards the Moon. These shorter wavelengths are primarily orange and red in color, which is unsurprising. As a result, our pale moon appears reddish or copper when viewed from Earth.
What you may not realize is that the same process that causes dispersed light to color the Moon crimson for the Blood Moon also causes our sunrises and sunsets to glow reddish. The red coloring is caused by the way light scatters and how we see it as humans.
Blood Moons occur around twice a year. While most people will be excited, you may not be able to view the Blood Moon. The Moon may not seem red or you may not be able to see it depending on the angle and position of your location. The Blood Moon, for example, will not be visible from North America on July 27, 2018.
Blood Moons are fascinating to observe, but they are not the result of superstition or witchcraft. You can simply inform someone that a total lunar eclipse is taking place during the Blood Moon if they ever ask what’s going on. The Blood Moon appears crimson due to light dispersed from the atmosphere and directed towards the moon’s surface. A total lunar eclipse illuminated by redirected sunlight is known as a Blood Moon.
What does the Scorpio blood moon mean?
Get your bearings, since the lunar eclipse of May 2022 is approaching quickly. This red moon, which will occur on May 16 at 12:14 a.m. ET, will be the last eclipse you’ll see until October, bringing the current eclipse season to a close with a bang. The first eclipse in this series occurred on April 30, when a solar eclipse in Taurus ushered in a new beginning based on patience, stability, and long-term growth. Now that a blood-moon-lunar-eclipse is blooming in Scorpio, the zodiac sign opposing Taurus, you’ve come to the end of a chapter in your life, so embrace whatever the universe has in store for you next! Even if these changes come as a shock, know that the universe is looking out for your best interests. Even if everything seems a little hazy right now, realize that everything will fall into place in due time.
Eclipses are particularly intense moon cycles in astrology that have the capacity to change the trajectory of your life. When an eclipse aligns with the North Node and the South Node, it causes changes in the celestial environment that may correspond to fated occurrences on Earth. After all, the North Node points you in the direction of your ultimate goal, whereas the South Node pushes you to let go of what you’ve outgrown. This basically indicates that an eclipse can help you get closer to what you’ve always wanted!
The recent solar eclipse in Taurus encouraged you to enjoy pleasure, sensuality, and comfort, while the approaching lunar eclipse in Scorpio will bring you forceful, penetrative, raw, and transforming energies. This lunar eclipse aims to disclose the inner-life ties and attachments that are preventing you from realizing your full potential. Because this lunar eclipse will be in conjunction with the South Node, you may find yourself letting go of something that is preventing you from achieving true achievement.
According to your sun sign, moon sign, and/or rising sign, here’s what you may expect from this lunar eclipse:
What is the duration of a blood moon?
Totality, when the moon is blood red and in the darkest shadow, lasts a little longer than usual, about 1 hour and 25 minutes, allowing skywatchers plenty of time to appreciate the spectacle. According to Mr. Rao, this is the longest complete lunar eclipse visible for much of the United States since August 1989.
Weather experts in New York said there was a 30% possibility of rain on Sunday night, and that circumstances will be largely cloudy before the eclipse’s totality.
If you can’t see the eclipse because of bad weather or because you’re not in the path of the eclipse, NASA will livestream it on their website. You can also watch it in the attached video player above. Another webcast will be available from the Slooh online telescope.
What causes the moon to turn red?
It has to do with the way light scatters, which is why the moon seems red. Rayleigh scattering is a process that causes some wavelengths of light to scatter more than others. Light wavelengths scatter the most from tiny particles that are one-tenth or smaller than the wavelength of the light.
When it comes to blood moons, what does the Bible say?
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awful day of the Lord,Joel 2:31,” they say in many writings.
Before the Lord’s great and memorable day, the sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood.
Acts 2:20 is a passage from the book of Acts.
In 2021, will there be a red moon?
When will the next one be held? “Is it a Blood Moon? A lunar eclipse (also known as a total lunar eclipse) will occur in the early hours of Friday, November 19, 2021 “The Americas, northern Europe, eastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific will all be able to see the Blood Moon.