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Supermoon Will Collide With Lunar Eclipse For "SuperBloodMoon" Sunday Night

By

Ben Yakas

Published Sep 26, 2015

Modified Sep 26, 2015

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via NASA

 

By

Ben Yakas

Published Sep 26, 2015

Modified Sep 26, 2015

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At this point, even the most delightful Neil deGrasse Tyson voiceover can't get us that enthusiastic about another beautiful, perfect, incandescent Supermoon. Oh sure, the lunar perigee made the moon look like an apocalyptic peach back in 2011, but we need a little more out of our lunar phenomenons these days. If you're as jaded as us, then you're in luck—because tomorrow night, there will be an ultra-rare Supermoon lunar eclipse over the horizon. And as long as you're not Mormon, this is really exciting!

This SuperBloodMoon, as NASA is calling it, has only occurred five times since 1900, most recently in 1982; it won't be visible again until 2033. To break this down quickly: a Supermoon is when a full or new moon makes its closest approach to Earth. Throw in a lunar eclipse, and voila.

Here, let NASA whisper sweet lunar nothings into your ear:

Don’t forget! This Sunday, a #SuperBloodMoon will be visible for last time until 2033. Be sure to get outside, look up and enjoy the show! http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/129807068979/what-is-a-supermoon-lunar-eclipse

Posted by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Saturday, September 26, 2015

Or if that's not explain-y enough, Vox has you covered:

NASA planetary scientist Noah Petro told AP that he hopes the celestial event will turn more people into moon nerds: "The moon's a dynamic place," Petro said. "We're seeing changes on the surface of the moon from LRO. We're seeing that it's not this static dead body in the sky...it's this great astronomical object that we have in our backyard, essentially. So people should get out and start looking at it."

While you shouldn't be concerned about earthquakes or any other weather phenomenon, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a little more worried, thanks to a few doomsday-prognosticators. The Church doesn't endorse these apocalyptic visions, but they still told their 15 million worldwide members that they should be "spiritually and physically prepared for life’s ups and downs."

According to Wired, "the moon will start darkening at 8:11 p.m. Eastern time, and it will start to pass through the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at 9:07 p.m. It’ll be completely shaded for about an hour starting around 10 p.m."

Even if it's cloudy out, NASA Television will be providing a live stream of the event. And if you get a good photo of the moon, submit it to [email protected] (or NASA).

Tagged

eclipse

moon

superbloodmoon

supermoon

Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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