KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — There must have been a collective sigh and groan among Kuala Lumpur folks at dusk earlier today when heavy rain started falling, meaning they would miss the chance the witness a once-in-a-lifetime celestial phenomenon.

But elsewhere, the skies are clearer, and some Malaysians have shared photos of the “super blue blood moon” during the lunar eclipse tonight, notably from Penang, Sarawak, Sabah, and Langkawi.

One such man was amateur photographer Dr Chong Seng Fook from Penang, who shared his photos taken from Pulau Tikus on the island with Malay Mail tonight.The lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018, as seen from Pulau Tikus, Penang
The lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018, as seen from Pulau Tikus, Penang

Other Malaysians have also shared their photos on Twitter, especially with the hashtag #SuperBlueBloodMoon. Here are some of them:

 






 

The event is causing a buzz because it combines three unusual lunar events — an extra big super moon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse.

A blue moon refers to the second full moon in a month. Typically, a blue moon happens every two years and eight months.

This full moon is also the third in a series of “supermoons,” which happen when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit.

During the eclipse, the moon will glide into Earth’s shadow, gradually turning the white disk of light to orange or red.

The last blue moon total lunar eclipse visible from Earth was reportedly in 1866.

Lunar eclipses during a supermoon happen rather regularly. The last one was in September 2015.

Lunar eclipses occur at least twice a year, while supermoons can happen four to six times a year.

The next supermoon lunar eclipse is predicted to be in next year, although it will not be a blue moon.

* Malay Mail apologises for incorrectly crediting Dr Chong Aik Fre as the photographer for these pictures in a previous edition, which has since been corrected.