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Not Again Until 2033!When: Sun Sep 27, 2015 5PM-9PM |
Source: Space.com
This month's highly anticipated "supermoon eclipse" will be a magical treat for skywatchers!
On Sept. 27, skywatchers throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, western Asia and the eastern Pacific Ocean region will witness a total eclipse that happens to occur when the moon looks abnormally large and bright in Earth's sky. It will be the first supermoon eclipse since 1982, and the last until 2033.
When the moon is farthest away, it's known as apogee, and when it’s closest, it's known as perigee. On Sept. 27, we're going to have a perigee full moon — the closest full moon of the year.
The moon is about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) closer to Earth at perigee than it is at apogee. As a result, perigee full moons, also known as supermoons, appear about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter in the sky than do apogee full moons (which are also called minimoons)
Total lunar eclipses — which occur when the Earth, moon and sun align, and the moon passes completely into Earth's shadow — aren't terribly uncommon: On average, any given location on Earth can expect to see one of these events every 2.5 years or so.
But it is uncommon for a total lunar eclipse to coincide with a supermoon. There have been just five such events since 1900 (in 1910, 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982), NASA officials have said.
Portland, Oregon Timeline
The eclipse will be total in Portland on Sun, Sep 27. Moonrise begins at 6:58 p.m., almost due east. Sunset will be at 6:59 p.m., so the sky will be getting dark as the moon begins its full eclipse at 7:11 p.m. The moon will be just 8 degrees above the horizon at the peak of the eclipse making this a spectacular event. The total eclipse will be at 7:47 p.m. near the midpoint of a five-hour show. That's also during a rise of the supermoon, but you'll need to wait until Mon, Sep 28 to see the year's brightest moonrise.
So pull-up a lawn chair and enjoy the sight! You won't see it again until 2033.
