Doom-mongering had been particularly ramped up as this lunar eclipse combined with a supermoon. The moon was fully immersed in Earth’s umbral shadow at 3:11 am, yes a super slow event but worth watching.
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So, last night was all of this blood moon madness you will get for a while.
As early as 8 p.m. on the night of September 27, students gathered outside of dorms and on university lawns to catch a glimpse of the blood moon eclipse. The Earth is slated at the middle, where its blocks most of the sun’s light from reaching the moon.
With the skies are clear, a total lunar eclipse paired with a larger-than-average moon was a great way to finish up your Sunday evening.
Not only was it the best and last opportunity of the year for Americans to witness any kind of eclipse, but this particular phenomenon is extremely rare, happening perhaps five times a century.
The next lunar eclipse visible from the the United Kingdom is due in January 2019, but a lunar eclipse won’t coincide with a super moon again until 2033. This series began in April 2014.
Throughout human history, lunar eclipses have been viewed with awe and sometimes fear. The event happened just as the orb was especially close to our planet and so appeared about 14% bigger than it usually does.
What is a Supermoon total lunar eclipse?
Sunday saw the closest full moon of the year, about 30,000 miles closer to the Earth than the average distance.
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Anyone staying up to see the red moon was treated to “quite an unusual sight”, according to Society for Popular Astronomy vice president Robin Scagell. When this happens it dims dramatically but remains lit by sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
