The Red Full Moon impressed the residents of Mato Grosso do Sul on the night of Monday, 24. The star had an unusual reddish hue.
Although quite eye-catching, the color serves as an alarm. Meteorologists explained that the color has to do with air pollution, lack of rain and local fires, which mainly affect the Pantanal.
Josélia Pegorim, in an interview with Climatempo, explained that dirt particles, mainly caused by fires in the Pantanal of MS, accumulate in the air. Without rain, they do not dissipate, and cause color change.
In theory, the more polluted, the redder the Moon gets. And it won’t end anytime soon, the meteorologist believes:
“There’s still a lot of winter ahead, a lot of dryness, a lot of dust in the air to concentrate. Unfortunately, this is the winter when we’re going to have less rain than usual.”
Fire in the Pantanal and Mato Grosso do Sul
For a few days now, the Pantanal region has been suffering from the largest fire since 1988. The situation continues to worsen and there is no expectation of improvement in forest fires.
More than 3,000 fires were recorded, affecting 627,000 hectares of the Pantanal. The data are from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
The government of Mato Grosso do Sul declared, on Monday, 24, a state of emergency in several municipalities. The decree will last for 180 days.
From the decree onwards, relief and combat is more emergent and effective. Agents are allowed to enter homes to evacuate or provide aid. Private properties can be used as places of help.
Residents
recorded stunning videos and photos of last night’s red Full Moon. JD Dervalho, a photographer, used a telescope for the images.
José Guilherme, a 14-year-old teenager, also used a telescope to photograph the star. See:
