Set Your Alarm Clocks To See First Supermoon Eclipse In 33 Years On Monday Morning
Stargazers get ready - because the first spectacular “supermoon eclipse” for 33 years takes place early Monday morning.
The sight of the moon appearing to swell by 14 per cent and turning blood red is seriously worth staying up or setting the alarm clocks for.
That’s because it won’t happen again until 2033. Let’s just hope it’s not cloudy.
Here’s all you need to know about the phenomenon:
WHAT IS A SUPERMOON ECLIPSE?
Two elements will make up Monday morning’s breathtaking sight in the skies. A supermoon (pictured second) happens when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth - which makes it seem 14 per cent larger than usual.
Then there’s the lunar eclipse - where the moon falls under the shadow of the Earth and stops reflecting back light from the sun. As the eclipse progresses, sunlight starts to reach the moon indirectly and is refracted around the “edges” of Earth. As all colours except red are filtered out, it means the eclipsed moon appears reddish - giving it the nickname “blood moon” (top picture).
WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN?
The supermoon will be visible all night. The lunar eclipse will begin just after 1 a.m. Monday morning in the UK, and the total eclipse will peak at 3.47 a.m.
WHO WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT?
Scientists say it will be visible from across Europe, Africa, North and South America, and some parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific. But that’s only if it’s not cloudy.
The Met Office is unfortunately currently predicting cloudy skies for much of the UK from Sunday night to Monday morning. If it’s not clear enough to see it from the ground in the UK, don’t fear - NASA will be streaming it live from Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama.
WHEN WAS THE LAST SUPERMOON ECLIPSE?
It took place 33 years ago in 1982, when Spain hosted the football World Cup and Margaret Thatcher was still in Downing Street.
AFTER THIS ONE, WHEN WILL THE NEXT SUPERMOON ECLIPSE BE?
It won’t happen until 2033 - so that’s another 18 years to wait.
WHERE DOES THE TERM ‘SUPERMOON’ COME FROM?
Astrologer Richard Nolle coined it in 1979. He defined a supermoon as "a new or full Moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit (perigee). In short, Earth, Moon and Sun are all in a line, with Moon in its nearest approach to Earth.”
(Pictures credited to REX)
