Island sky gazers treated to Super Blood Wolf Moon Sunday night

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WATCH: The Super Blood Wolf Moon as seen from Nanaimo Sunday night.

For people on Vancouver Island who looked skyward to take in the only total lunar eclipse of the year and next, they were treated to a supermoon bonus.

On Sunday night, the moon, Earth and sun lined up to create the eclipse, which was visible in clear skies throughout North and South America, along with parts of Europe.

The Super Blood Wolf Moon from Island View Beach in Central Saanich. Photo courtesy Nick Boyle Photography.

The Super Blood Wolf Moon from Island View Beach in Central Saanich. Photo courtesy Nick Boyle Photography.

The next total lunar eclipse will be in 2021.

During a total lunar eclipse, the eclipsed, or blood moon turns red from sunlight scattering off Earth’s atmosphere.

Sunday was also the year’s first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position in its orbit around the Earth.

The entire eclipse took more than three hours. Totality — when the moon’s completely bathed in Earth’s shadow — lasted an hour.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon for January was called the “full wolf moon”, inspired by wolves that were more often heard at this time of year.

With files from the Canadian Press.

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