A super rare "supermoon" total lunar eclipse is set to take place this Sunday night, and it won't come again for another 18 years.
The event last happened in 1982, and the next one will take place in 2033. This particular event is actually the result of three rare phenomena occurring simultaneously.
First, the moon will be both at its fullest and the closest that it gets to Earth — making it a supermoon. This, in and of itself, is pretty spectacular: it will appear 14 percent larger and 33 percent brighter than the moon at other times.
On top of that will be a lunar eclipse, which is what happens when Earth lines up perfectly with the sun and the moon — causing the moon to fall completely into the Earth's shadow.
Last but not least, limited light will pass through Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the moon's dark red hue.
The event itself will take place Sunday, September 27 from 9:07 p.m. to 12:27 a.m. on Monday morning (Eastern time). The best time to see the moon will be at 10:11 p.m. ET. The partial eclipse – which is when the moon slowly inches into Earth's shadow – will last around an hour. The full eclipse – which is when the moon will appear in its red hue – will last 72 minutes, from 10:11 to 11:23 p.m. ET.
While the east coast will certainly be the best place to watch, those on the west coast will be able to view the supermoon event, too — the best time to watch starting is 7:11 p.m. PT. It should however be noted that there will be some cloud cover in parts of the country that will, naturally, interfere with visibility.
Via: Digital Trends
