SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON AT PAG PUTOK NG BULKANG MAYON ISA NGA BANG SENYALES AT MAY KONEKSYON SA ISA'T-ISA?

We are set to experience a rare phenomenon at the end of January as a blue moon, a lunar eclipse, and a supermoon are expected occur simultaneously, as per Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA). Coined the ‘Super Blue Blood Moon‘, this once-in-a-century phenomenon is set to take place at about 6:49 PM on January 31 until around 12:09 AM on February 1.

To save you a Google search, a blue moon is the second full moon of a calendar month and it materializes only every two to three years. A blood moon is a lunar eclipse wherein the moon turns reddish in color. Lastly, a supermoon is a phenomenon wherein the moon moves closer to the Earth than usual, thereby explaining its noticeably larger size.

Surely most of you are hyped to witness such an astrological marvel. However, it’s worth knowing that this much-awaited lunar event will have some repercussions, particularly on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which has been quite active these past few days (e.g. the Mayon Volcano). Let us break it down for you. Solar and lunar eclipses may impact seismic activity. How, exactly? Well, the sun and moon each have their own gravitational pull, which explains the rising and the falling of the tides.

During a blood moon, the Earth is in the middle of the sun and the moon. Thus, our planet is put under pressure from two opposite sides. The physical force this pressure creates has a small effect on the Earth’s seismic activity. However, the increased gravitational pull caused by an eclipse isn’t necessarily enough to cause an earthquake or a tsunami. At least, not directly. This information isn’t meant to terrify you. However, we would like to issue a warning to be prepared for any shifting of the tides and possible seismic activity.

Coincidentally, certain phenomena have occurred during times when the moon was closer to the Earth. In Chile, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 hit mere days prior to the 2015 Super Blood Moon. In 2010, on the day of a lunar eclipse, Japan and Iran were struck with 7.4 and 6.5 magnitude quakes, respectively. So, for any stargazers keeping their eyes open for the upcoming lunar event, it wouldn’t hurt for you to be on your guard for any other phenomena. With that said, let’s all have a happy Super Blue Blood Moon viewing this Wednesday!