by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | September 23, 2015 04:34pm ET
The rare "supermoon" total lunar eclipse on Sunday (Sept. 27) will mark the end of a great eclipse-viewing era.
The Sunday evening eclipse is the last in a "tetrad" — a term for four total lunar eclipses happening at six-month intervals — that has been stunning skywatchers across the United States for the past 18 months, and also sparking conspiracy theories about what it could mean.
"The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA," NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak said in a statement last year. [Supermoon Lunar Eclipse: Complete Blood Moon Coverage]
What makes Sunday's eclipse even more special, however, is that it will occur when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit and therefore appears abnormally large and bright in the sky. This so-called "supermoon" eclipse will be the first one since 1982, and the last until 2033.
A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth. When the moon is totally eclipsed, it goes completely in the shadow, turns red or reddish-brown, and stays that way for up to an hour. No special equipment or eye protection is needed to see it, and it is viewable anywhere the sky is dark and the moon is visible.
There are several kinds of lunar eclipses, such as when the moon passes into the edge of the palest part of the shadow (a penumbral eclipse) or when the moon partially enters a deeper part of the shadow (a partial eclipse).
While the alignment of the sun, Earth and moon make lunar eclipses happen about twice a year, usually it's a total eclipse followed by a different kind of eclipse. Tetrads have been a frequent occurrence in the 21st century — there are eight in this century alone, Espenak pointed out in the statement — but that doesn't always happen. Between 1600 and 1900, there were no tetrads at all.
But the number of "blood moons" seen in the past 18 months sparked some conspiracy theories about possible dangers to humanity. In 2014, according to Space.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao, online rumors drew a link between the eclipses and biblical prophecies of the apocalypse — a theory also popularized in a book called "Four Blood Moons" by John Hagee (Worthy Publishing, 2013).
Full Article: http://www.space.com/30629-supermoon-lunar-eclipse-tetrad.html
Replies
Ok you and Feather are probably right, I will be patient :)
Total Lunar Eclipse of a Super moon Ireland 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD0iI8I_yrs
Saw it, it was small from Spain but visible and nice. Honestly? I don't feel anything of 5th dimension yet unless I meditate or take magic mushrooms, am I the only one still stuck in 3D and the rest of you ascended already? omg haha
I WAS EXPECTING MY 3RD EYE TO FULLY OPEN BUT NOTHING AS SUCH HAPPENED :(
It is a gradual process...been happening for years...that is why you don´t notice it and it all just feels ´´normal.´´
just saw it-kinda awesome
I'm in Spain and it's 3:44am, still waiting...1 hour left to see it blood red...
it,s a nice view here in Chicago
Its 2.18am in Berlin and all I see in the night sky is a very bright moon with the kind of light you could read a book in ..
Can you see it on a cloudy night?
You need a clear enough sky to see the moon. The less clouds and other such atmospherics between you and the moon will give you a better view. I can see the moon tonight but there is some moisture in the air which makes my view less clear. There are clear spells.
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