In case you missed it (sadly, we did) there was a “blood moon” in the West Hollywood sky Monday night. Actually it was visible in the sky from all of North and South America. Our intrepid photographer, Jon Viscott, went far out to Red Rock Canyon State Park to take a look.
The blood moon, which takes its name for its reddish hue, is really a lunar eclipse. That’s a term that describes the rare situation when the moon passes directly behind the earth and into its shadow. It’s rare because this only occurs when the sun, earth and moon are perfectly aligned, with the earth in the middle.
The moon looks red because the sunlight that illuminates it has to pass through the earth’s dense atmosphere.
If you missed it Tuesday, there will be other chances. The red moon is set to return on Oct. 8 this year and April 4 and Sept. 28 next year. Plenty of time to prepare for your trip to Griffith Observatory.
