In case you've heard a whole lot of phooey about the upcoming supermoon eclipse,and still have no idea what it's all about, we've got you covered. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) put out a helpful explainer on its website, to introduce laymen to what exactly we're going to see on Sept 27, and why it's so important.
Firstly, what IS a supermoon. The thing is, our night-time heavenly companion doesn't have a circular orbit, it's more elliptical. So, when the the moon is closest to the Earth, called its perigee, it appears about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter in the night sky. Hence the term "Supermoon" But this time around, the Supermoon will also coincide with a lunar eclipse. That means that, when the Moon is at its closest, it will be smack dab in the Earth's shadow from the sun. The alignment give the moon a shadowed, reddish tinge.
Now, while supermoon lunar eclipses can be accurately predicted, they're not very rare. The last supermoon lunar eclipse we saw was in 1982 and, if you miss it this time around, you'll only get a chance again in 2033. The total eclipse will last one hour and 12 minutes, and will be visible to North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific. Earth’s shadow will begin to dim the supermoon slightly beginning at 8:11 pm EDT (5:30 am IST). A noticeable shadow will begin to fall on the moon at 9:07 pm, and the total eclipse will start at 10:11 pm.
And another helpful bit from NASA; if you have little kids and want them to participate in your eclipse-watching, try getting them to watch the explainer video below.
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