Stargazers ready for rare event in supermoon eclipse

“Because during a total lunar eclipse moon does not become black, but gets a reddish-copper tinge which popularly is mentioned as blood red”, the expert on celestial bodies said.

The rare occurrence of a full moon at perigee during total lunar eclipse last happened in 1982, ad will next happen in 2033.

Depending on the weathter, it was visible in North and South America, Europe, Africa and western Asia on Sunday night or early Monday. Since 1990, there were only five supermoon eclipses.

But what exactly is a Supermoon Lunar Eclipse, or if you were in fact on social media a #superbloodmoon, and what is so special about it?

“You always want to see the eclipse because they’re always very different”, said astronomer Edwin Krupp, the director of the hilltop landmark.

The supermoon should also not be confused with the Moon Illusion, which causes the Moon to appear larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky.

The term super moon generally refers to a full moon which is at its nearest point to the earth. But there will be a few hours on either side of that time period when you’ll be able to see the shadow passing over the moon, weather permitting.

Many stargazers, both professional and amateur, do not like the term “supermoon”, noting the visible difference between a moon and supermoon is slight to all but the most faithful observers. At its closest, it is 31,000 miles closer than its furthest distance.

The event was partly obscured by a haze as the moon rose in the eastern sky.

The moon travels to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit means it normally passes above or below the Earth’s shadow – so most months have a full moon minus eclipse.