Tonight is the night that the rare lunar eclipse happens (Monday morning in some locales)!
Thanks for the image, Tim and Eric!
NASA reports:
On the evening of Sept. 27, 2015, observers in North and South America will see a total lunar eclipse lasting 72 minutes. This eclipse is also visible in Europe and Africa.
Viewing + photo tips: http://www.nasa.gov/superbloodmoon
It’s the night of the Harvest Moon–the full moon closest to the September equinox.
Sometimes a full moon is called a “supermoon”–a term coined just a few years ago. A supermoon is a new or full moon which occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. There are four to six supermoons every year on average, so they’re not unusual. You won’t really be able to see the difference between this full moon and any other one with your eyes. It’ll only be about 7 percent larger. The moon is 221,000 miles from Earth this month, as opposed to the average distance of 239,000 miles.
The partial lunar eclipse begins at 9:07 p.m. EDT. It will last a little more than an hour, and observers can watch as, crater by crater, the moon is engulfed in Earth’s shadow. U.S. West Coast viewers take note: when the eclipse begins, the moon won’t have risen yet for you. The total eclipse begins at 10:11 p.m. EDT and also lasts for more than an hour, ending at 11:23 p.m.
The moon’s reddish color you’ll see is caused by sunlight refracting through Earth’s atmosphere on its way to light the moon’s surface. This month the moon skims Earth’s shadow, just as it did in the April lunar eclipse. In April the north pole appeared a bit brighter during totality. This time, the southern pole will appear a bit brighter, a bit like a partial eclipse. Then it’s the whole show in reverse order, ending at 12:27 a.m. on the East Coast and 9:27 p.m. on the West Coast.
Thanks, NASA!!
Can’t get outside to see this awesome SUPERMOON ECLIPSE? That’s too bad! The next SUPERMOON eclipse doesn’t happen again until 2033!!
Luckily, you can watch the LIVE FEED here: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/live-feed-of-sundays-supermoon-eclipse.html
If that fails, how about getting one of these…?
This is LUNA, a glowing moon lantern!
HAPPY SKYGAZING, EVERYONE!!