NEWS
Lunar trifecta coming early morning on Jan. 31
Skywatchers will see something of a “lunar trifecta” the morning of Jan 31, a pre-dawn “Super Blue Blood Moon.”
As January closes the moon will do something it hasn’t since 1866. These lunar events are not uncommon separately, but it is rare for all three to occur at the same time. It should be a rare treat to observe, but it starts early.
The Jan. 31 full moon is special for three reasons: It’s the third in a series of “supermoons,” when the moon is closer to earth in its orbit and about 14 percent brighter than usual.
It’s also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a “blue moon.” The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a “blood moon.”
Beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST on Jan. 31, a live feed of the moon will be offered on NASA TV and NASA.gov/live. You can also follow at @NASAMoon.
Time frame for north Texas
Partial eclipse starts about 4:51 a.m.
Total eclipse starts 6:51
Moon sets on the horizon at 7:23 a.m.
A blue moon occurs about every two and a half years. While the moon does not actually appear blue, “Blue Moon” is another term for the second full moon in a single calendar month. January’s first full moon was on Jan. 1. The last blue moon was in July 2015 and the next will be on March 31.
According to the National Aeronautica and Space Administration, the exact moment of the full moon is 8:37 a.m. on Jan. 31, but the moon will appear very full one or two days before and after.
The lunar eclipse will be visible early in the morning of Jan. 31 from western North America. In the central and eastern U.S. only a partial eclipse will be visible since the moon will set before totality.
The eclipse will last almost three and a half hours from the beginning of the partial phase at 3:48 a.m. pacific time and ends at 7:12 p.m. pacific time. Totality according NASA last about 77 minutes from 4:51 a.m. to 6:08 a.m. pacific time.
Blood moon refers to a lunar eclipse where the moon will glow a spectacular red for many viewers. NASA officials explain the sun, earth and moon will line up in such a way that our planet cuts off the moon’s sunlight supply. It will drift into the earth’s shadow and begin to glow a warm, orange-red as light passes through the earth’s atmosphere.
A supermoon glows brighter than the average moon and occurs when the moon is closer to the earth in its orbit. When the moon’s closest approach coincides with a full moon, it can look bigger and brighter, generally about 30 percent. Jan. 31 will be the last chance to see a supermoon this year. It is suggested to look to the skies just after sunset because the lower the moon sits in the ski, the larger it appears, called “moon illusion.”
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
A petition was filed mid-week with the 97th District Clerk seeking the removal of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall for “incompetency or official misconduct.”
The document was filed by Tim Cole, former DA and longtime area attorney, on July 17. Texas law allows any resident of the county where the allegations occurred to file such a petition on any elected official.
As of Friday noon, no judge had been assigned and Hall had not been served notice of the filing per the district court.
A recent example of this type of petition occurred in Clay County in January 2023 after Sheriff Jeff Lyde was arrested on charges of official oppression. Former District Judge Frank Douthitt filed that petition and the state was represented by Hall and the Clay County attorney Seth Slagle.
Casey Hall, DA for the three-county 97th District since 2016, was arrested on July 8 on a grand jury indictment for theft of property $2,500 to $30,000, a state jail felony. She was released on a $5,000 bond. The allegations stem from misappropriation of state grant funds with the investigation conducted by the Texas Attorney General’s staff.
Removal action
The removal action is directed to David Evans, judge of the 8th administrative judicial region, which has jurisdiction in this case. It seeks to have the officer removed for incompetency or official misconduct, acts or omissions while in the performance of her duties as the district attorney.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
A missing person’s alert has been issued for Bryce Dingler, who was last seen July 16 at his parents’ home in Nocona around 10 p.m. as he left going home to his apartment in Plano.
The 29-year-old is the son of Dr. Len and Waynette Dingler of Nocona. According to missing person circulars posted by the Clay County Sheriff’s office and Put Me First, Dingler’s vehicle, a 2015 white Ford F150 lifted with large tires and Dallas Cowboy’s star on the tailgate was found on the side of U.S. Highway 287 in the early morning hours of July 17. His ID and phone were left in the truck.
The initial SO posting stated Dingler was at the courthouse Tuesday to midday, and he told his parents that night was he was heading home to Plano. His family tried to call him throughout Wednesday, but he never answered. It states his last known location was near Butler Road, 1 mile west of Jolly on U.S. 287. Those with any information are urged to call the Clay County Sheriff at 940-538-5611. Case #24010013.
The Put Me First circular stated a license plate reader picked up Dingler’s truck around midnight in Plano. He was wearing a light color T-shirt, dark grey athletic shorts and tennis shoes. He has a left lower arm sleeve with pine trees, leaves and a wolf. He is 5-foot-6-inches tall, 135 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
It continues the truck was spotted July 17 around 6:30 a.m. on the westbound side of U.S. 287 by Duck Creek. Put Me First states Dingler had a “promising job interview” the day he went missing, noting this is “not normal behavior.”
As of 2 p.m. Friday Dingler was still missing.
The regular meeting of the Bowie City Council for July 22 has been cancelled. City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris will be attending the Texas Public Power Association conference.
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