Coincidently, the eclipse will occur during a supermoon, when the moon is closer to earth than at any other time of year.
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Late on Sunday evening, September 27, the Earth will slide precisely between the sun and the moon, throwing the satellite into a rusty red shadow.
The Science Center’s observatory will be open to the public on Sunday, September 27, from 9 p.m. until 11:30 p.m if weather allows.
According to NASA, a supermoon eclipse hasn’t happened since 1982 and another one won’t happen again until 2033.
NASA says the supermoon will begin to dim at 8:11 p.m. EDT. NASA solar physicist Mitzi Adams will answer questions on Twitter with the hashtag #askNASA.
Northwest sky gazers will get a show when the full moon rises Sunday.
It’s also no cause for concern, despite the ancient Incans and Mesopotamians believing the moon to be under attack during a lunar eclipse.
This weekend’s eclipse marks the end of a tetrad, or series of four total lunar eclipses set six months apart. The earth’s shadow darkens the moon slightly, before the phenomenon of Rayleigh Scattering (the same effect that makes sunsets appear orange and the sky blue) makes the moon appear blood red. So, in its egg-like orbit, the moon will be closest to earth this Sunday. The moon appears to be a reddish color, due to particles in the atmosphere, so many call this a blood moon.
The full eclipse should be visible from the Mississippi river and points east, leaving us here in Myrtle Beach with a ideal set-up for viewing.
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Scientists at Goddard have predicted eclipses a thousand years into the future. There have been only five supermoon lunar eclipses since 1900, according to NASA.
