a very rare event this week-end: super-moon eclipse

[goldenpeach]

Hi!

This week-end, a rare astrononomical event will occur: the moon will appear simnifically larger than usual(the Moon will be at its perigee (AKA: it's periapsis) AND at the same time, a total eclipse will take place.

The last time such an event occurred was 30 years ago.

Everyone living in America(North America as well as South America), Europe, Africa. It will also be a total eclipse in some part of West Asia and the eastern pacific.

The total eclipse will be visible for one hour and 12 minutes. The eclipse will start 8:11 p.m EDT and a noticeable shadow will appear at 9:07 p.m EDT. The total eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m EDT.

note: EDT is equal to GMT minus 4 hours.

PS: for the unlucky who can't see this event, because of bad meteorological condition(a.k.a: too much clouds) or are just not in a good place to see it, you can have a live stream of it from NASA.

link for the live stream

PS2: Be sure not to miss it: the next time such an event will happen is in 2033, that is in 18 years.

PS3: if you want more info on that, see the live stream page, I took all the informations from that page.

Have a nice day sleep-less night!

Edited September 25, 2015 by goldenpeach

[Tex_NL]

"This weekend" is a pretty broad concept. It could be useful to mention the exact night of the eclipse. Just mentioning the time could cause people to miss it by 24 hours. It's the night from September 27 to 28.

Sadly I'll have to get up early the next morning (like everyday). No bloodmoon for me.

[lajoswinkler]

For peeps in most of Europe, it will happen early in the morning, before dawn. If the weather allows for it (I'm probably gonna have a few clouds - it will be cool for nice shots), I'm gonna watch it.

[_Augustus_]

I will watch it even though it is on a Sunday night.

Who cares if I'm late tomorrow?

[Camacha]

I will watch it even though it is on a Sunday night.

Who cares if I'm late tomorrow?

Why not both? Taking two hours to look at this thing still leaves plenty others to catch some sleep.

[K^2]

The total eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m EDT.

AKA, just as Moon clears the horizon on the West Coast. Still, if it's going to be in total eclipse for an hour, it might make it up high enough in the sky before it's over. I'll look for it.

[Superfluous J]

A SUPERMOON is 30% brighter than a normal Moon! So a SUPERECLIPSE will be 30% darker!

I science. I science well.

[_Augustus_]

A SUPERMOON is 30% brighter than a normal Moon! So a SUPERECLIPSE will be 30% darker!

I science. I science well.

Indeed. This is why NASA is worried about LRO not making it through this eclipse, even though it's already made it through 5 normal ones.

[Shpaget]

This "supermoon" naming is really absurd.

An average citizen at which these pompous news articles are aimed at would not even notice the difference in apparent size of the moon. Somebody who spends more nights in the open, staring at the stars than in bed sleeping would probably have hard time seeing the difference.

This is the difference in apparent size:

Prepare for the apocalypse!

[Camacha]

I feel the difference is quite significant for something most consider fixed. Also do note that the difference in area (and therefore light) is much larger than in regards to diameter.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Camacha

[Sharkman Briton]

Just had a nice gander outside in the pitch black with my kiss*** dog and my dads headlight, very refreshing, actually, saw a bunch of stars, the moon again, what was either a cloud that looked like the milky way or the milky way, two massive harvestman (them creepy almost-spiders) and a dead mouse

Won't be able to see the eclipse though, as I'm in the UK and the eclipse starts at 1 in the morning.

[vger]

This "supermoon" naming is really absurd.

Apparently the name actually originated with astrology. Which I find perplexing, because I don't ever recall any hype about supermoons until maybe four years ago.

You know how there are sites out there like knowyourmeme which will tell you here something got started? I'd like to know that about the supermoon. But it's not really a meme, so probably nobody else cares.

[goldenpeach]

A SUPERMOON is 30% brighter than a normal Moon! So a SUPERECLIPSE will be 30% darker!

I science. I science well.

Exactly.

So the 30% darker eclipse and the 30% brighter moon will cancel each other: the eclipse will look like a regular moon!!!!

I science even more

[Shpaget]

Apparently the name actually originated with astrology. Which I find perplexing, because I don't ever recall any hype about supermoons until maybe four years ago.

You know how there are sites out there like knowyourmeme which will tell you here something got started? I'd like to know that about the supermoon. But it's not really a meme, so probably nobody else cares.

Yeah, I know, and that makes it even more absurd... Why is NASA using a phrase some crackpot astrologer came up with while spewing countless other nonsense?

http://www.astropro.com/features/articles/supermoon/

[InterCity]

For the first time in my life, I'm happy that I'm working a night shift tomorrow in Central Europe. Going to post some photos as soon as it gets here (4 AM CEST - GMT + 1) for those who aren't lucky enough to see it for themselves. Did I mention that it's cloudless warm night outside?

[Tex_NL]

Yeah, I know, and that makes it even more absurd... Why is NASA using a phrase some crackpot astrologer came up with while spewing countless other nonsense?

http://www.astropro.com/features/articles/supermoon/

Why? Because NASA, and the entire astronomical community, never came up with a better term than "perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system" The term "supermoon" fits and is easy to remember. "Perigee-syzygy" only creates more questions than it answers.

[Shpaget]

It's completely overcast here, so lucky you.

It's the context of the creation of the word and intended meaning with all the doomsday associations it originally comes with that bother me.

As for,

"Perigee-syzygy" only creates more questions than it answers

sure, it does for those that don't know the meaning of the words, just like "supermoon" creates the same questions for those that don't know what that means, the difference being that "Perigee-syzygy" is self-explanatory, if you know what the individual words mean. Edited September 27, 2015 by Shpaget

[Pawelk198604]

As above.

[Motokid600]

Already a thread I believe. But for what it counts. No. Clouds. So I'll peak into Nasa's stream more then like. Not that exited to be honest. Seen them a few times before.

The solar eclipse in 2017 however. Gonna go nuts. Putting my life into full stop for that one.

[InterCity]

Indeed. Night shift tomorrow.

[vger]

How about we just drop all the confusion and call it the FMUP?

"Full Moon of Unusual Proximity"

[Pawelk198604]

In Poland we get total Lunar eclipse

[StrandedonEarth]

Looks like it'll be a clear night here in the Fraser Valley, with the eclipse starting about 45 min after sunset. So yes

[wx7]

Clouds.

Freaking clouds.

I blame the weather dude.

[Shpaget]

Count me in.

Although, it's not that unusual for the Moon to be this close. It happens once a month.