Look! Up in the sky!
September 19, 2015 7:30 AM   Subscribe

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse! Coming to most of the world September 27th or 28th, 2015. There are many other cool visualizations, like this telescopic view or a view from the moon. Provided by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission of NASA.
posted by Roger Dodger (15 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Perfect post for International Observe the Moon Night! The moon is first quarter tonight, which makes it perfect for looking at through binoculars or a small telescope to see mountains and shadows. Do it early though, the moon sets around 11pm.

Today is also National Butterscotch Pudding Day and International Eat an Apple Day, so you've got your dessert plans sorted out.
posted by Nelson at 7:55 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


This falls on my birthday so I assume that means I'll be fulfilling some kind of prophecy
posted by The Whelk at 7:58 AM on September 19, 2015 [5 favorites]


Sometime just over 20 years ago, there was a lunar eclipse that was taking place where I lived right at sundown. The moon was fairly high in the sky and the sun was disappearing below the horizon as the shadow of the earth started to crawl across the face of the moon.

I was standing in the middle of the residential street on which I lived, looking up at the moon and over at the sun and the horizon, and had this intense moment of epiphany. I was actually watching the physics of the planets and their motion taking place in real time. The earth was moving between the moon and the sun, and look! The sun is vanishing behind the edge of the planet! And look! The shadow of the planet is falling on the moon!

I stood there until the sun completely vanished from view watching the shadow creep as the sun disappeared... mentally suspended on a rock flying through a void moving between a light and another rock....

I've long loved astronomical events. But that one evening, it all was suddenly so clear to me in such a stark way. I was at exactly the right latitude and longitude to be able to witness exactly that moment, but it remains one of the most astounding events in my life.
posted by hippybear at 8:19 AM on September 19, 2015 [13 favorites]


In my time zone the sunset and moonrise overlap and the eclipse is starting although you probably won't be able to detect that detail quite yet. Hope the sky is clear. If it's not I am going for a drive.
posted by bukvich at 8:32 AM on September 19, 2015


That's cool. This is sorta scary.
posted by marienbad at 8:56 AM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Really hoping for nice weather here next Sunday!
posted by TedW at 9:50 AM on September 19, 2015


Sky and Telescope
posted by bukvich at 9:51 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Eclipse times for North America (times for other places are further up the same page)
posted by mai at 2:18 PM on September 19, 2015


Timeanddate has a good page with detailed local viewing info.
posted by TedW at 2:41 PM on September 19, 2015


As an astronomer I would gladly accept non-stop Pluto wars forever if it meant the death of the term "supermoon".
posted by kiltedtaco at 5:12 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Agreed, I am amazed NASA succumbed to the silly 'supermoon' term, and pleased Sky and Telescope simply explains the eclipse is nearly coincident with "the closest lunar perigee of 2015." Thus "the Moon (in Pisces) will appear 13% larger in diameter than it did when eclipsed last April." (-- As a very amateur astronomer.)
posted by lathrop at 9:54 PM on September 19, 2015


Why? Some sort of pet peeve or is it misleading in someway?
posted by Mitheral at 3:08 PM on September 20, 2015


FOUR BLOOD MOONS: THE MOVIE
“The heavens are ‘God’s billboard.’ He’s been sending signals to earth, and we haven’t been picking them up,” Hagee says. “Two blood moons, in 2014 and 2015, point to dramatic events in the Middle East and, as a result, changes in the whole world.”
Four Blood moons doomsday prophecy: Supermoon lunar eclipse 2015 coming Sunday prompts apocalypse prediction

As for myself, I will try to photograph the moon using these tips on lunar eclipse photography, but will probably end up thinking what can't I take a decent picture of the moon?
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:07 AM on September 27, 2015


There are some very drunk people in my apartment complex right now for some reason and one of them just opened up their slider door and yelled to the complex at large, "FUCK YEAH! SCIENCE! ECLIPSEEEEEEE wait yes total eclipse of the heaaaarrtt". That I did not catch it on video shall be one of my life's greatest failings.
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:56 PM on September 27, 2015




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