With the huge supermoon lunar eclipse just one week away, it’s time to dust off your small telescopes and binoculars, track down an observatory event or webcast, or draft your invitations for a moon-cake party.
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The autumnal equinox occurring on Wednesday at 4:21 a.m., EDT.
The super moon lunar eclipse is going to take place in the evening of September 27 to the early morning hours of September 28. The moon doesn’t simply disappear into Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse; instead, it’s illuminated by an eerie, reddish glow of the light refracting through the edges of Earth’s atmosphere. Because the moon is near its closest point – perigee – to the earth (31,000 miles closer than when the moon is most distant), it will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter, hence the term “Supermoon”. This is when the moon passes through the earth’s shadow.
While people such as the Incans and Mesopotamians historically viewed lunar eclipses as random and frightening occurrences, they’re actually quite predictable. People from these regions will be able to see the large and bright moon in the night sky of September 27.
Scientists at Goddard have predicted eclipses a thousand years into the future.
A supermoon occurs when the moon makes its closet orbit to the Earth during its elliptical orbit.
But the proverbial stars only align for this event once every few decades, making this phenomenon much rarer than a supermoon or a lunar eclipse separately. Since 1982, it will be the first supermoon eclipse.
Despite its rarity, Petro said the event is not cause for concern.
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If you’re outside between 7 and 10 p.m. you’ll be treated to a total lunar eclipse just after sunset. From the moon’s perspective this is a solar eclipse. Astronomy buffs can listen to the LA Philharmonic and Steinway & Sons play moon-themed music as the eclipse takes place, and webcast viewers can follow along as well.
