For the first time in decades, sky-watchers around the world will witness a double spectacle today of a swollen ‘supermoon’ bathed in the blood-red light of a total eclipse.
The total ‘supermoon’ lunar eclipse, also known as a ‘blood moon’ is one that appears bigger and brighter than usual as it reaches the point in its orbit that is closest to Earth.
The supermoon eclipse will last 1 hour and 11 minutes, and will be visible to North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific, according to NASA.
The Moon will be at its closest orbital point to Earth, called perigee, while also in its brightest phase. The resulting ‘supermoon’ will look 30% brighter and 14 times larger than when at apogee, the farthest point – which is about 49,800 kilometres from perigee.
At its closest point the moon comes as close as 363,104 kilometres from Earth. At the most distant point, the moon is 406,696 kilometres away.
A rare phenomenon, there have only been five supermoon eclipses since 1900 (in 1910, 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982). After Sunday, the next supermoon eclipse will occur in 2033.
A supermoon occurs when a new or full moon is at its closest to the Earth.