PHOTOS: The Blood Moon (April 14-15)

Seth Auberon, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd (EarthSky.org) 

Total lunar eclipse of Oct. 27, 2004 (Fred Espenak/NASA). Why does the Moon turn red?

Moon, Luna or Chandra, becomes a Blood Red Moon (Luc Viatour/earthsky.org)

 

Mars, eclipsed Moon, Spica (CA)

The first Blood Moon eclipse in a series of a tetrad (four) is coming up on Tuesday, April 14-15, 2014. 

It falls on the night of the Buddhist uposatha (lunar observance). This total eclipse of the Moon, Chandra, will be visible from the Americas. 

The astronomy community had not heard the term "Blood Moon" used in quite this way before this year. But now the term is becoming widespread in the mainstream media. 

The waxing Moon, April 10 (earthsky.org)

The origin of the term is religious, at least according to Christian pastor John Hagee, who wrote a prophetic 2013 book about Blood Moons.

Meanwhile, both astronomers and some proponents of Christian prophesy are talking about the upcoming lunar tetrad -- the series of four total lunar eclipses -- beginning on the night of April 14-15. More

• What is a lunar tetrad?
• Blood Moons in Biblical prophecy
• Dates of Biblical prophecy Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015
• Why is the term Blood Moon being used to mean a full moon of a lunar tetrad?
• The Buddhist Precepts of the Lunar Observance

Why do Buddhists love the Moon? 

Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)

 

Under a Full Moon, Hsi Lai (WQ)

Why do Buddhists revere and admire the Moon instead of worshiping the Sun like everyone else? In an oppressively hot country like India, heat and light are in ample supply, whereas cool and contrast come at a premium. A moon is dazzling against a dark sky, but a sun saturates the sky and washes out its dazzling potential. Living far north of equatorial or tropical regions, it is the Sun -- Sol or Surya -- that becomes the most important. One worships the Sun to ensure that it returns and melts the snow, warms the ground, sprouts the seeds, and matures the plant life to eat. In the general darkness and gloom, heat and light become the most important things. Buddhists from warm places and well-lit latitudes, admiring yin, will continue to be cool and gentle and gleaming.