Total eclipse of the moon to loom into view on Monday

A total eclipse of the moon will be visible in Irish skies on Monday morning.

For 62 minutes between 4.41am and 5.43am the Moon will be completely in shadow as viewed from the Earth.

So often the forecast for Irish skywatchers is bad, but Met Éireann is predicting clear skies across Ireland for that time.

The diffusion of light from the Earth’s shadow will make the moon appear to be red in the sky – hence the term blood moon.

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This will be no ordinary blood moon, rare enough as they are. This will be a super blood wolf moon.

The super extends to the size of the moon which will appear huge in Irish skies because it is at its perigee or closest to the Earth in its orbit.

The wolf extends to the traditional name for the full moon in January. It is so called because wolves tended to howl at the moon during January as they were ravenous with hunger during the winter months.

It is also being called the “Trump moon” as it marks the halfway point in the Trump presidency. Mr Trump was born during a blood moon on June 14th, 1946.

The coincidence was too much for YouTube pastor Paul Begley who believes Monday morning's blood moon heralds the end of days.

“Is this a sign? Is this a harbinger for America?” Begley said in a YouTube video posted Sunday. “It seems like the prophetic scriptures of the Bible are starting to play out right on the world stage, right before our very eyes.”

Closer to home Astronomy Ireland editor David Moore said the blood moon will be the best until 2032.

“There will be other total lunar eclipses between 2019 and 2032 but they will happen as the moon sets or rises from Ireland thus spoiling the view,” he said.

“This total lunar eclipse on the morning of Monday January 21st will be entirely seen in Irish skies from start to finish so we are recommending everyone take a day off work or school and watch this amazing spectacle of nature.

“Irish people will not see an eclipse this good again until October 2032 so we want everyone to stay up late, or get up early and witness one of the most spectacular sights in nature.”