Super blue blood moon delights skywatchers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Skywatchers were treated to the extremely rare phenomenon of a super blue blood moon early Wednesday.
The unusual lunar trifecta occured for the first time in North America since 1866, according to Space.com.
SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON 2018: WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The Jan. 31 full moon is special for three reasons: it’s the third in a series of ‘supermoons,’ when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit -- known as perigee -- and about 14 percent brighter than usual,” explains NASA. “It’s also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a ‘blue moon.’ The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a ‘blood moon.’
“For the (continental) U.S., the viewing will be best in the West,” explained Gordon Johnston, program executive and lunar blogger at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement.
Across the globe, skywatchers were closely monitoring the moon to see the rare event.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}People set up telescopes on the waterfront for the super blue moon and eclipse in Hong Kong, China Jan. 31, 2018. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip)
Photographers have also been capturing the phenomenon on camera.
The Statue of Liberty is backdropped by a supermoon, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. The supermoon, which is the final of three consecutive supermoons, also experience lunar eclipse as it set over the horizon, but only a partial eclipse was visible in the East Coast. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Only a partial eclipse, however, was visible in the East Coast of the U.S.
The Statue of Liberty is backdropped by a supermoon, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Hawaii and Alaska had the best seats in North America, along with the Canadian Yukon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The eclipsing blood moon appears above the statue of Kansa Warrior Ad Astra atop the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
While the super blue blood moon was visible in the pre-dawn hours in much of the U.S., other parts of the world viewed the lunar event in the middle of the night.
A full moon is seen during a lunar eclipse in Jakarta, Indonesia Jan. 31, 2018. (REUTERS/Darren Whiteside)
The event was particularly visible in Australia and Asia.
Lunar eclipse is seen over Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
The lunar spectactle has been generating plenty of buzz on social media, with #SuperBlueBloodMoon a topic trending global topic on Twitter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some Twitter users, however, were underwhelmed by the spectacle.
The unusual lunar showstopper won't happen again until 2037.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers