CDC: Viewing Of Lunar Eclipse âBlood Moonâ Could Cause Contraction of Rare Disease
On Wednesday morning, most of North America was privy to a viewing of a lunar eclipse âblood moon,âÂ the reddish hue from a sunset or sunrise that reflects onto the moonâs surface during a full lunar eclipse. When this happens, the moon will appear bright orange or red.Although normally harmless to gaze at the moon, scientists have warned that anyone who may have witnessed the lunar eclipse âblood moonâ may have been hit with powerful, harmful doses of radiation, which they say is the equivalent of thousands of X-rays happening all at once.âEveryone knows that the sun can be harmful to you, whether that means overexposure or staring directly at it,â said Dr. Marvin Lee, of the Center for Disease Control in Washington. âWhat many people donât realize is that the sun also emits a fair amount of radiation that your body absorbs. Over time it could be dangerous, but in small doses itâs okay. During a lunar eclipse, though, when the sun is reflecting off a full moon, causing the âblood moonâ effect in early morning or early dusk, the powerful rays of the radiated sun become intensified, almost as if the moon is being used as a magnifying glass to point its harmful radiation directly into you.âDr. Lee says that most people wonât notice any side effects of the eclipse right away, but itâs possible that they may start to get violently ill over the next few days and weeks.âItâs not entirely uncommon for people whoâve been exposed to these âmoon raysâ to develop lycanthropy,â said Dr. Lee. âLycanthropy usually will have an on-set once a month during eachÂ full moon, and generally will last for the rest of the infected personâs life. Symptoms include elongating of fingernails and teeth, rapid hair growth, and extreme rage and violence. At this time, there is no known cure for lycanthropy, and the contraction viaÂ lunar eclipse is new to us. Previously, the only way thought to contract the disease was through survival of a bite or scratch from another person infected with lycanthropy, so this is difficultÂ science we are dealing with.âDr. Lee and the CDC say that anyone who may have been awake during the hour of the blood moon, and viewed it directly, should wait to see if symptoms develop before contacting their physician.âThey canât tell if youâve got Lycanthropy until the âclaws come out,â as it were,â said Dr. Lee. âIf you think you may have Â contracted this disease from viewing of the eclipse, please seek professional help as soon as possible.â