Blood moon hung over Oceanside

Sky-watchers, both professional and amateur, last Wednesday were treated to the rare sight of a “blood moon,” a total lunar eclipse that made the moon look coppery red. The blood moon is an effect caused by the sun peeking around the periphery of the Earth, appearing as a sunset on the moon’s surface.

The phenomenon was the second of the year, with the first coming last April. In this instance, the sequel was better than the original. Because the latest eclipse occurred when the moon was closest to Earth during its orbit, the moon appeared larger that it did in the spring.

The full eclipse started at about 6:25 a.m. and lasted until about 7:24 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Oceanside resident Eric Abbey snapped a shot of the eclipse at its bloody reddest after being awakened by his wife, Amy, daughter Allison, 13, and son Adam, 11.

Two more blood moons are coming in what scientists call a “tetrad, ” a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row, spaced six months apart. The next is expected in April 2015, followed by another in September 2015. The blood moon, though, is not a common occurrence. There have been a total of 62 tetrads in the last 2,000 years, according to NASA, the last occurring ten years ago. Then next is expected in the year 2032.