10 Things to Know About the Rare 'Supermoon' Lunar Eclipse Tonight

Representational photo

For the first time in decades, sky-watchers around the world will witness a double spectacle today of a swollen ‘supermoon’ bathed in the blood-red light of a total eclipse. The total ‘supermoon’ lunar eclipse, also known as a ‘blood moon’ is one that appears bigger and brighter than usual as it reaches the point in its orbit that is closest to Earth.

Following are the 10 things to know about the rare ‘supermoon’ eclipse:

1. The ‘blood moon’ will be the result of the Sun, Earth and a larger-than-life, extra-bright Moon lining up for just over an hour from 0211 GMT. If skies are clear, the phenomenon will be visible from North and South America, Europe, Africa and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific.


2. The Moon will be at its closest orbital point to Earth, called perigee, while also in its brightest phase.


3. The resulting ‘supermoon’ will look 30 per cent brighter and 14 times larger than when at apogee, the farthest point – which is about 49,800 kilometres from perigee.


4. Unusually, Earth will take position in a straight line between the Moon and the Sun, blotting out the direct sunlight that usually makes the Moon glow whitish-yellow.


5. But some light will still creep around the Earth’s edges and be filtered through its atmosphere, casting an eerie red light that creates the “blood moon”.


6. 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.


7. It has been more than 30 years since a supermoon combined with a lunar eclipse. The next total lunar eclipse will not be until 2018. The next supermoon-lunar eclipse combination will not happen until 2033.


8. Unlike a solar eclipse, which creates the impression of a bright “ring” of light as the Moon passes before our star, there is no danger in watching Monday’s lunar spectacle with the naked eye, the experts say.


9. Because the moon is not perfectly round, its distance from Earth varies by about 49,900 km as it circles around the planet every 27 days.


10. At its closest point the moon comes as close as 363,104 kilometres from Earth. At the most distant point, the moon is 406,696 kilometres away.

Story First Published: September 27, 2015 17:17 IST