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.
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]
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]
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
posted by bukvich at 8:32 AM on September 19, 2015
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
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
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]
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
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
posted by Mitheral at 3:08 PM on September 20, 2015
FOUR BLOOD MOONS: THE MOVIE
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
“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
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:56 PM on September 27, 2015
The Search for Eclipses as Perfect as Earth’s
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:06 PM on September 30, 2015
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:06 PM on September 30, 2015
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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]