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https://space.blog.gov.uk/2015/09/25/the-red-face-of-the-moon-image-of-the-week/

The Red Face of the Moon: image of the week

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Digital communications, Image of the week, Space exploration

In the very early hours of Monday morning (28 September 2015), be ready to experience a Super-Harvest-Bloon-Moon eclipse!

Credit: Joel Tonyan
Credit:
Joel Tonyan/ Flickr

The above image of an eclipse last year (April 2014) marked the beginning of the current tetrad. A lunar tetrad consists of 4 lunar eclipses occuring every six months. The early hours of next week will mark the end of this year's lunar tetrad. This is called a 'Blood Moon'.

The eclipse will spand from 02:07 am to 05:27am  with the total eclipse at 03:11am , ending at 04:23am (BST).

Super-Harvest-Blood-Moon-Eclipse

The Harvest moon is the nearest eclipse to the Autumn Equinox.

The 'supermoon' phenomenom occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon get together, coinciding with a total lunal eclipse. This will be the first supermoon in 33 years and won't repeat until 2033.

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, therefore the moon is sometimes closer to the Earth than other times during orbit. When it is closer to the Earth, it is called a 'perigee' and soon we will see the closest perigee full moon of the year.

As the Moon passes behind the Earth into its shadow, a red tint will appear across its surface.

Are you staying up/ waking up early to see the extra special eclipse? If so, take a picture and send it to us via Twitter or Instagram. #RedMoon

 

 

 

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