The awe-inspiring spectacle of the 'blood moon' eclipse is a four-stage event that is known as a Tetrad. The celestial event occurs when the Earth’s shadow crosses over the moon turning the sun’s bright light into total darkness. The eclipse is a spectacular sight and some religions believe the dramatic four-stage event signifies major importa
The Lunar Eclipse, Seeing our planet's shadow is a rare event. When a lunar eclipse occurs we get a fleeting glimpse as the full moon quickly darkens the sky and glows red. The eclipse's peak happens as the moon enters the Earth's full shadow, also known as the umbra. The red rust hue is a projection of all of the Earth’s sunrises and sunsets displayed across the moon’s surface. To view this spectacular display the sky has to be clear. The Tetrad cycle has only happened three times in more than 500 years and will happen three more times over the next two years, before the next event occurs in 2032.
What Happens During A Blood Red Lunar Eclipse. When the moon passes in the shadow of planet Earth a lunar eclipse occurs. This causes light from the sun to be blocked by Earth, and this crossing is known as an umbra. The penumbra is the dark shadow that creeps across the moon when the moon enters the Earth’s partial shadow. This shadow creates the illusion of the moon changing phases instantaneously. As the refracted light in the atmosphere hits the moon it appears ‘blood red’ in colour. When the moon enters the Earth's full shadow the Earth's atmosphere scatters the sun's red visible light. This is the same process that occurs when the sky turns red during sunset. There are two remaining blood moons this year:
- April 4, 2015
- September 28, 2015
Celestial Significance. Influenced by the rarity of the celestial event some people believe the eclipse has larger significance. According to some religious sources “each time the Tetrad occurs there has been a significant religious event accompanied with it. The next blood moon is on April 4, 2015, which is during Jewish Passover. The end of the blood moon cycle occurs with the total lunar eclipse on September 28, which is also during the Feast of the Tabernacles. Although there have been nine sets of blood moons in the 21st century, it is not always a regular occurrence. Between 1600 and 1900 there were none at all. As with all cycles of the moon the lunar eclipse signifies a shift of energy and the commencement of changes. If you are inspired by the lunar events and want to see how the cosmos will influence changes in your life, a spiritual or psychic reading will be able to give you positive answers. Cosmic Events, there are plenty of cosmic events to look forward to throughout the year. These include meteor showers and the planets at opposition. April 13 to 18 marks International Dark Sky Week, which will see people all over the world turning out the lights to get a good look at the night sky’s wonders.