An unusual set of celestial circumstances comes together Sunday for skywatchers in Europe, Africa and the Americas, where a total lunar eclipse may be glimpsed, offering a view of a large, red Moon.
The full Moon will appear bigger than normal because it is closer to the Earth -- about 222,000 miles (358,000 kilometers) away -- which earns it the nickname "super Moon."
Other monikers include a "Wolf Moon," a traditional way of coining an eclipse in the month of January, and a "Blood Moon" because of its rusty, red color. Hence the name for this year's event: a "super blood wolf Moon."
"The Sun's red light is scattered much less by air, and is bent by Earth's atmosphere in a process called refraction, travelling all the way through it to light up the Moon's surface."