Total Eclipse: Rare Blood Moon in the Sky
On the night of 27-28 September, planet earth witnessed a rare event in the sky. There was a total lunar eclipse combined with a 'super moon' or 'blood moon.' In a total lunar eclipse on Sunday (Sept. 27), the surface of the moon appeared to be of deep crimson color. Though some observers viewed the event with fear but it was a total celebration for the star gazers and the astronomers, said CBS News.
Viewers in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa and western Asia viewed the rare coupling event where in the blood moon and lunar eclipse occured simultaneously on Sunday night or early Monday depending upon the weather. NASA's solar physicist Mitzi Adams also discussed the eclipse and answered questions from Twitter with the hashtag #askNASA, said CBC News.
According to the reports, last time such an event occurred in 1982 and now will appear only in 2033. Supermoon occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth and appears far bigger than its average daily appearance. It is not only bigger but also brighter than the usual. This year it coincided with the lunar eclipse as well.
NASA released explanations about the event for viewers. Most of the space websites showed live streaming the event live, reported CBC News. Several local clubs and public places across the United States and the UK also hosted public viewing of the event, said koco.com. Certain observatories across the US also hosted a variety of festivities to showcase the eclipse and supermoon.
University of Nebraska Omaha opened its Durham Science Center observatory and planetarium to the public. It also provided telescopes with smartphone adapters so visitors could take pictures. The Kopernik Observatory & Science Center near Binghamton, New York, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Hammergren's own Adler planned their moon parties for "THE astronomical event of the year," according to the Cincinnati Observatory. For those could not make it to the planetarium or any observatory, NASA TV streamed live eclipse coverage that could be watched in the comfort of the home, said WTVR.com.
