Science News Roundup: Super Blood Wolf Moon, defect in new heavy-lift space rocket engine

'Super Blood Wolf Moon' to get star billing in weekend lunar eclipse

Look up into the night sky on Sunday and - if it is clear - you may witness the so-called "Super Blood Wolf Moon" total lunar eclipse, which will take a star turn across the continental United States during prime time for viewing. The total eclipse, which will begin minutes before midnight on the East Coast (0500 GMT) and just before 9 p.m. in the West, will unfold on the day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday when most Americans have no school or work.

Russian scientists find a defect in new heavy-lift space rocket engine

Scientists have discovered a defect in the engines of Russia's new flagship heavy-lift space rocket that could destroy it in flight, an apparent setback to a project President Vladimir Putin has said is vital for national security. The Angara A5, which was test-launched in 2014, is being developed to replace the Proton M as Russia's heavy-lift rocket, capable of carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes into orbit. A launch pad for the new rocket is due to open in 2021.