Supermoon at the end of this month expected to be 2015's closest
A rare combination of celestial events will grace the night sky later this month. NASA says a supermoon lunar eclipse will take place September 27.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s perigree — the point in the lunar orbit when it’s closest to the Earth — making it appear larger and brighter than normal. The supermoon at the end of this month is expected to be the closest one of 2015, a year that will see sixsupermoons in all.
A lunar eclipse, meanwhile, happens when the moon passes into alignment with the Earth and sun and briefly falls into Earth’s shadow. Space.com explains that during a total lunar eclipse, the moon often turns a reddish color when it’s hit by sunlight bent by the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a phenomenon called a “blood moon.”
It’s extremely unusual for a supermoon and total lunar eclipse to happen at the same time, as they will at the end of this month. NASA says it has happened only five times since 1900, most recently in 1982. There won’t be another one until 2033.
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2 comments:
The old Creedence Clearwater Revival song begins with the line..."I see a bad moon risin' ". And this time, I think I might have to agree! However, on the bright side, I finally see a chance to finish up all the ramen noodles I stocked up on from both the Dec. 21, 2012 "end of the Mayan Calendar" debacle, AND the Y2K non-event. But like an old "I love Lucy" re-run, I am afraid to say, "here we go again"...the end of the world is once again upon us and the clock is a ticking!
This time, the date is September 28th, the night of the "SUPER MOON". However, if having an event such as the "Super Moon" wasn't enough, there will also be a total eclipse of said "Super Moon", which happens when the moon passes through the earth’s shadow, this time causing a phenomenon known as a “BLOOD MOON”. Why such an ominous sounding name? . Sounds pretty apocalyptic if you ask me. But not just to me, apparently there are more than a couple of big name Christian ministers who believe there is something more to this "blood moon" than just the celestial bodies doing their thing in the heavens above. But that's where things start to get a little "dicey". The clergymen in question, believe that with the number of these super moons we've been having recently, and now in addition to the blood moon coming on later this month, signal the start of the apocalypse!
Wait, whaaat?!? Yup, that's right, were talking the four horsemen of doom and gloom, plagues, death and destruction and everything else the bible has to offer in the way of the end of mankind. Now, I can't say I necessarily believe one way or the other that the end is nye, if for no other reason than deja vu having struck more than once in the "predictive cataclysmic destruction of earth" department. Is it time to start to stock up on water, canned food and ammo? I'm not sure.
I believe no human has that ability. Besides, if the end is coming, I will wait until the "big guy" himself taps me on the shoulder and tells me to RUN! But speaking of running, I see the field of both major parties in the U.S. who want to run for president and then I think, hmmm...maybe there is something to this super/blood moon thing after all. Still, I see all the other problems in the world too...the possibility of Iran having nukes, ISIS, climate change, colony collapse of the bees, over population, devastation of the rain forests, and the fact we still can't get rid of the Kardashians\. Well, whatever the case, don't forget to circle your calendar for Sept. 28. for an awesome celestial event which either may or may not signal the end of the world. Cue the CCR song!
1:39... Best. Comment. Ever. You must be a writer.
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