MILWAUKEE -- Southeast Wisconsin will not officially see the complete trifecta of the 'super blue blood moon', but it will be close.
The West Coast will experience the full trifecta, and the East Coast will only see it partially, leaving the Midwest somewhere in between.
This super blue blood moon will be the only one in our lifetime. The last one was over 130 years ago in 1886, and the next won't be until 2170.
Let's break the terminology down. The first part of the name, 'super-moon', means it will appear larger due to its orbit.
The 'blue moon' refers to the second full moon of one calendar month. There will not be any actual blue tints to the moon.
There will, however, be a tint of a different color. 'Blood moon' refers to the reddish color of the moon during a full lunar eclipse.
The partial super blood moon can best be seen in the Milwaukee area early Wednesday morning. Here's a timeline:
- 5:48 a.m. - Partial eclipse begins in Northwest sky
- 7:06 a.m. - Our peak viewing time with the moon close to a total eclipse, and still above the horizon in the Northwest sky
- 7:09 a.m. - The moon sets
- 7:29 a.m. - Maximum total eclipse with the moon not visible below the horizon
Now, all of this is weather-dependent, and unfortunately, clouds may hamper our viewing significantly.
