Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Stargazers, night owls and space observers
(CNN)Stargazers, night owls and space observers, be prepared, the eclipse of the supermoon is coming.
The
United States and much of the world will see skies graced by a bright,
big moon that will be encapsulated in a total lunar eclipse late Sunday
evening into early Monday, according to NASA.
The lunar combination is happening for the first time in 30 years.
The
supermoon, which comes around once every year, will appear 14% larger
and 30% brighter in the sky that evening before it is engulfed by an
eclipse for more than an hour.
As
if that wasn't already a spectacular sight, this eclipse is the fourth
and final in the so called "blood moons," a phrase that has become
popular to describe the four lunar eclipses we have seen in 2014 and
2015. Scientifically this is known as a "lunar tetrad."
Another supermoon eclipse will not occur again until 2033
How to watch the supermoon eclipse
The
total lunar eclipse will last about one hour and 12 minutes, according
to NASA. It will be seen in North and South America, as well as Europe,
Africa, parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific.
However,
skywatchers can camp out early for the partial lunar eclipse, which
will begin at 8 p.m. ET in the United States. As the planet's shadow
dims the supermoon, this will create dramatic viewing opportunities for
observers. The eclipse will reach its peak during the 10 o'clock hour,
giving the supermoon a reddish, copper-like hue. The event should end
after midnight.
Unlike solar eclipses,
which need to be viewed with special eye gear, the lunar eclipse can be
seen with the naked eye after nightfall.
People
interested in seeing the event can simply step outside Sunday evening
to see the lunar phenomenon. For a better view, some parks and planetariums in the United States will be scheduling viewing parties.
See the forecast for your region to learn whether your location will be able to view the eclipse.
Why this event is special
Since
the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle, there are times when the
moon is closer to our planet. This is known as perigee. Sunday's
supermoon will technically be a perigee full moon, the closest full moon
of the year, NASA says.
"There's no
physical difference in the moon," said Noah Petro, scientist for the
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Maryland. "It just appears slightly bigger in the sky. It's
not dramatic, but it does look larger."
Lunar
eclipses are common and happen twice a year. However, there are some
end-times theorists who view Sunday's event as a signal for the end of
the world.
Petro explained that the
combination of a supermoon and eclipse happening at the same time is
just planetary dynamics. "When the rhythms line up, you might get three
to four eclipses in a row or a supermoon and an eclipse happening," he
said.
But the last time a supermoon eclipse occurred was in 1982, making Sunday's rare event worth staying up past bedtime.