One of the most impressive sky shows we can expect this year will happen just hours from now. A total lunar eclipse will be visible in most of North and South America, western parts of Europe and Africa. At the same time, we will witness a “supermoon”, also dubbed a “wolf moon” or a “blood moon”, so the eclipse will be even more impressive. This is the last eclipse we will be able to see for at least two years, so you really don’t want to miss it.
But, what exactly is a supermoon? According to NASA, it’s a moon that looks larger because it’s at its “perigee;” the closer point it can get to earth.
We all know that a solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between the sun and earth, but, what happens in a moon eclipse? There is no object large enough between the earth and the moon to actually block it’s view from our planet!
Photo: @oliver_asis
What happens with a moon eclipse is that the earth’s shadow completely blocks the sun, but light still makes its way through, creating a red cast on the moon’s surface, as TimeAndDate.com explains:
“When sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it gets refracted towards the Earth’s surface, and part of it—the colors with shorter wavelengths—gets scattered and filtered out, while the rest, colors with longer wavelengths like orange and red, passes through the atmosphere. This light is once again refracted towards the surface of the fully eclipsed Moon, thus illuminating it in a reddish-orange glow.”
There are three parts to the eclipse, and the whole thing takes about five hours from start to finish, but the eclipse itself lasts about an hour. To know the specific time when it will be visible in your area, click here.
Photo: @hl73_photography
If the sky is clear from clouds and you’re on the eclipse’s path, you will be able to see the phenomenon without a telescope, and unlike in the case of a solar eclipse, there is no need for special protective glasses or other contraptions to enjoy the view. The best you can do to enjoy the experience is to go to a high, open space with no trees or buildings that block your view of the moon, sit or lay down, and look up.
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Do you have more tips to enjoy the events happening in the sky this weekend? Do you know little known facts about the eclipse and you want to share them with our audience? Send a 500 word article to storyteller@culturacolectiva.com
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