--- title: What Is a Supermoon? Here's What to Know description: A total lunar eclipse will occur during a supermoon and blood moon on Jan. 31. What is a supermoon? Here's what you should know. canonical: https://time.com/5125152/what-is-a-supermoon-january-2018/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-30T20:36:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:41.171Z article:section: Science og:title: What Is a Supermoon? Here's What to Know About the Phenomenon og:description: A total lunar eclipse will occur during a supermoon and blood moon og:url: https://time.com/5125152/what-is-a-supermoon-january-2018/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51778e96d939783b/6988f9f54ee2623d84310aa5/what-is-supermoon.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: INDIA-KASHMIR-ASTRONOMY-SUPER MOON og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Is a Supermoon? Here's What to Know About the Phenomenon twitter:description: A total lunar eclipse will occur during a supermoon and blood moon twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51778e96d939783b/6988f9f54ee2623d84310aa5/what-is-supermoon.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Is a Supermoon? Here's What to Know About the Lunar Phenomenon ## Video: 2017 Supermoon Seen from Around the World [Watch (HLS stream): 2017 Supermoon Seen from Around the World](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/RYO3otbn.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2017-12-04. 2017 Supermoon seen from space, London, Washington, D.C., and Japan._ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jan 30, 2018 8:36 PM UTC  A "super moon" rise in the sky of Srinagar on January 30, 2018. A "super moon" rise in the sky of Srinagar on January 30, 2018.TAUSEEF MUSTAFA—AFP/Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jan 30, 2018 8:36 PM UTC Sky watchers will see the moon looking brighter and larger on January 31 when three lunar events — including a supermoon — coincide for the first time in 35 years. But what exactly is a supermoon? A supermoon is a [full moon](http://time.com/5082027/wolf-moon-supermoon-january-2017/) at its closest point to Earth during its orbit, according to [Space.com](https://www.space.com/39208-super-blue-blood-moon-guide.html). While the [supermoon](http://time.com/5082027/wolf-moon-supermoon-january-2017/) will look larger and give off more light on January 31 than a regular full moon, the difference can be hard to spot with the naked eye. But the upcoming supermoon will be extra special because it is also a blue moon — the second full moon in a calendar month — and a blood moon, a moon which occurs during a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, blocking sunlight from hitting the moon. As this happens, the moon takes on a reddish color, which is how it got the name “blood moon,” according to Space.com. Because the January 31 supermoon is occurring during a lunar eclipse, and is also a blue moon and a blood moon, it is being called a “[super blue blood moon](https://www.space.com/39208-super-blue-blood-moon-guide.html).” The upcoming supermoon is the third of 2018 and will complete the “supermoon trilogy,” according to NASA. The last two supermoons occurred on January 1 and December 3. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5125152/what-is-a-supermoon-january-2018/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5125152/what-is-a-supermoon-january-2018/"},"headline":"What Is a Supermoon? 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