“超級藍血月”+月全食今晚現身,送你一份觀天攻略

On January 31, you will be treated to both a visible supermoon—what we call a full moon at its closest orbital point to Earth—and a total lunar eclipse. As the second full moon of the month, it earns the title of a blue moon as well. The celestial coincidence hasn’t happened in more than 150 years. That means there were people who lived and died on this Earth without ever having had a chance to see this phenomenon, which won’t reappear again for another decade.

1月31日，你會同時看到肉眼可見的超級月亮和月全食。超級月亮指的是在繞地運行軌道上處於近地點的滿月。作爲1月第二次滿月，這次超級月亮也被稱爲超級藍月。這種天文上的巧合是150多年來首次出現，也就是說有人一輩子都沒有見過，而未來十年都不會重現。

This supermoon also happens to be the final one in a supermoon trilogy—the first two of which appeared on Dec. 3 and Jan. 1.

這次超級月亮還是一連三次超級月亮的最後一次——前兩次發生在2017年12月3日和2018年1月1日。

Visible supermoons appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than full moons that occur at the farthest point in the moon’s orbit. During the eclipse, with totality visible from eastern Asia across the Pacific to western North America, the moon will slowly lose its brightness and take on a reddish hue because of the way the atmosphere bends the light, says NASA.

肉眼可見的超級月亮看起來比在月球軌道上距離地球最遠的滿月要大14%、亮30%。美國國家航空航天局表示，在月食期間，月球將緩緩變暗，並且因光線經過大氣層發生折射而呈現出紅銅色。從東亞經太平洋直至北美洲西部地區，可以觀測到月全食。

As a result, totally eclipsed moons are sometimes also called “blood moons.”

因此，月全食有時也叫“血月”。

When can I see the supermoon and total lunar eclipse?

何時能看到超級月亮和月全食？

The best time to enjoy a supermoon is right after moonrise and before sunrise, when the moon is sitting on the horizon. It will appear its biggest and brightest because of a “moon illusion” effect that’s created when you are able to compare the lunar body to other objects for scale, like buildings and foliage.

觀賞超級月亮的最佳時間是在月亮初升後和太陽升起前的那段時間。這個時候月亮位於地平線以上。月亮將顯得最大、最亮，這是由於你把月球與建築物、樹葉等其他物體比較大小時會產生“月徑幻覺”現象。

For the real highlight of the show, the lunar eclipse will begin at 6:48am ET and reach its maximum at 8:30am ET. Viewers from eastern Asia, the Pacific, and western North America will get the best view, but viewers in eastern North America and Europe will also catch a partial eclipse.

至於這場天文奇觀的真正高潮，月食將從美國東部時間早上6時48分（北京時間19時48分）開始，美國東部時間早上8時30分月食程度達到最大。人們在東亞、太平洋和北美洲西部將能看到月食全過程，但在北美洲東部和歐洲只能看到月偏食。

What’s the best way to photograph the lunar eclipse?

給月食拍照的最佳方法是什麼？

To take a picture of the supermoon or the lunar eclipse with a smartphone, tap on the moon on the screen and hold your finger in place to lock the camera’s focus. Then adjust the exposure slider that appears next to your finger to get the right balance of light for your shot.

如果用智能手機拍攝超級月亮或月食的照片，可用手指在手機屏幕上輕點月亮，並保持一會兒，以便鎖定對焦。然後調節出現在手指旁邊的曝光滑塊，獲得拍攝照片合適的光平衡。

If you’re using a DSLR, NASA’s senior photographer Bill Ingalls recommends that you use the daylight white balance to adjust for the sunlight being reflected off the moon. He says that it’s important to keep in mind that the moon is a moving object: “It’s a balancing act between trying to get the right exposure and realizing that the shutter speed typically needs to be a lot faster.”

如果用數碼單反相機，美國國家航空航天局高級攝影師比爾?英戈爾斯建議使用日光白平衡來調節月亮反射的太陽光。他說，重要的是記住月亮是移動的物體，“努力達到恰當曝光的同時也要知道快門速度需要比平時加快，這兩者要小心兼顧”。

To get an original shot, Ingalls suggests taking a picture that puts the moon in context of a local landmark, something that gives your photo a sense of place. “Don’t make the mistake of photographing the moon by itself with no reference to anything,” say Ingalls. “Everyone will get that shot.”

要想拍到一張有創意的照片，英戈爾斯建議拍照時把月亮放在某個本地地標物的背景下，這個地標物可以讓照片有一種地域感。他說：“不要在沒有任何參照物的背景下單獨拍月亮。那種照片誰都能拍。”

Do I need special glasses to watch the supermoon and lunar eclipse?

是否需要特殊的眼鏡觀測超級月亮和月食？

Unlike the solar eclipse, the supermoon and the lunar eclipse are safe to view with the naked eye. There’s nothing to worry about if you find yourself enthralled and staring up into the sky for a very long time. Except maybe your neck.

與日食不同，超級月亮和月食可以安全地用裸眼觀測。如果你發現自己着迷地長時間凝望天空，不用擔心什麼。只是脖子可能會不舒服。