Lunar eclipse coupled with a “supermoon” happening this week-end

Stargazers are in for a rare celestial treat this weekend. On Sunday, a total lunar eclipse will accompany a supermoon. Late on September 27, 2015, in the USA and much of the world, a total lunar eclipse will mask the moon’s larger-than-life face for more than an hour. The next one won’t be until 2033!

The weather forecast for Sunday evening is fair, there could be a few clouds around but viewing should be good during the event. What we see from the ground is we see an otherwise full moon start to darken during the course of the night, and for three to five hours, it’ll turn red. The coloring is caused by Earth’s atmosphere scattering sunlight into the shadow. In the United States, the eclipse begins at 8:11 p.m. EDT/0011 GMT.

Regular viewings at the Observatory will continue every other Saturday night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on September 26, October 10, Oct. 24, November 7 and November 21.

The moon looks red during the eclipse for the same reason sunrises and sunsets appear red and orange.

A rare combination of a supermoon and a lunar eclipse Sunday evening won’t do anything to tamp down temperatures expected to rise to the high 80s by Sunday, forecasters say.

WJZ’s Alex DeMetrick reports, the eclipse will be total, and the full moons will look larger than normal. This is a result of the moon being at it’s closest point to Earth in it’s usual orbit. The moon’s orbit is not a flawless circle, and the moon is not always the exact same distance from the Earth. “When the moon is farthest away it’s known as apogee, and when it’s closest it’s known as perigee”. The math shows that a supermoon appears larger than a typical full moon, though it may not be noticeable with a human eye.

If you miss this event, you’ll have to wait a while – the next supermoon eclipse won’t occur until 2033.