The Four Blood Moons
Four total eclipses of the Moon in a row, each falling on a religious festival, led some preachers to warn that something world-changing was coming.
What was reported
Between April 2014 and September 2015, there were four total lunar eclipses in a row, a 'tetrad', in which the Moon turned a deep red. Each fell on or near a Jewish festival, Passover or Sukkot.
Some American preachers, including a well-known pastor in San Antonio, Texas, wrote books and gave sermons suggesting the 'blood moons' were a sign of major events, perhaps related to the end of the world. The last, on 28 September 2015, was also a 'supermoon'.
Explanations offered
Tetrads of lunar eclipses happen several times a century. The Moon turns red in an eclipse because sunlight bends through Earth's atmosphere, which filters out blue light, just as at sunset. Because the Jewish calendar follows the Moon, its festivals often fall near full Moons, when eclipses happen. No predicted event occurred.
- When
- April 2014 – September 2015
- Where
- San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Witnesses
- Millions of sky-watchers
- Status
- Nothing happened
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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