Super Blood Wolf Moon Puts on Quite a Show for Islanders

Many Hatteras and Ocracoke island residents braved the cold, wind, and the late-night hours to venture outside and witness one of 2019’s most impressive celestial shows – the rare Super Blood Wolf Moon, which lit up the skies on Sunday night.

The Super Blood Wolf Moon consisted of a unique combination of a “super moon,” where the moon appears much larger than usual, and a lunar eclipse, which produced a bold reddish hue that lasted for roughly an hour.

On Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, the total eclipse began at around 11:41 p.m., was at its maximum point, (or when the moon is closest to the center of the shadow), at 12:12 a.m., and ended at 12:43 a.m.

Despite initial forecasts for cloudy skies on Sunday night, the moon was clearly visible throughout the eclipse, causing many islanders to stay up late and look up to catch the display.

The Super Blood Wolf Moon is exceptionally rare, and won’t be seen again until the year 2036.

Though it was visible throughout North America on January 20 and 21, because of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s reputation as one the darkest and best places to see the night skies on the East Coast, islanders got a front row seat for the celestial event, with minimal distractions.

For more information on the Super Blood Wolf Moon, as well as upcoming celestial shows, see NASA’s Lunar Eclipse page at https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html/