![]() ![]() There are a number of definitions of a supermoon (a phrase that was originally coined by an astrologer). The moon will look super big as it rises above the horizon in Western Australia at the beginning of the eclipse. This full moon (and eclipse) also happens to fall nine hours after the Moon has reached its closest point to Earth this month (357,311 kilometres away), so it is a supermoon. Will the eclipse look extra big because it's a supermoon?Īlthough the Moon can look full for a couple of days, in astronomical terms a full Moon happens at a very specific point in time, wherever you are in the world. "I would expect it's going to have a reddish tinge, but that may be a gradient across the Moon as well," Dr Jacob said. "When is closest to us, it is moving at its fastest speed ," Dr Jacob explained.Īnd, although we like to call eclipses "blood red moons", this one is probably going to be more of a russet moon because it's passing through the outer edges of Earth's shadow. moving through the very edge of the shadow," Dr Jacob said.Īnd the Moon will spend less time in the shadow because it's travelling slightly faster than average. "We're expecting it will rise from the area above the Opera House, so we'll see if we can get some shots of that," he said. įrom his vantage point at Sydney Observatory, Dr Jacob will get an iconic view of the Moon changing colour high up in the easterly night sky, from 7.44pm Sydney time. What will the eclipse look like?Īstronomer Andrew Jacob said the lunar eclipse should look beautiful, no matter if you are in the east or the west of the country. This can be seen in a partial eclipse, when some part of the Moon has moved into the shadow, but it is more prominent during a total eclipse, when all of the Moon has moved into the umbra. When the Moon moves through the deepest part of the Earth's shadow (the umbra), it takes on a distinctive red glow - an effect caused by the bending of light in Earth's atmosphere. Just what the eclipse looks like and how long it lasts depends on which part of the shadow the Moon glides through and how fast the Moon is moving. It doesn't happen every full moon - only when the Moon's orbit is aligned so it passes through some part of Earth's shadow.ĭuring a lunar eclipse, Earth's shadow passes across the Moon. It occurs when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun – aka full Moon. Partial eclipse ends: 8:52pm What's a lunar eclipse? The eclipse will be visible from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, South-East Asia and parts of North and South America at the same time.īut not all of those locations will see the whole eclipse, and some parts of the world won't see it at all. The best time to see the lunar eclipse will be 9:18pm AEST, when the eclipse is at its peak. It will begin at 7:44pm AEST and end at 10:52pm AEST. The eclipse happens at exactly the same moment wherever you live. What's the best time to see the lunar eclipse tonight? ![]() The heavens are lining up in the first total lunar eclipse to be seen across Australia since July 2018.Īnd this lunar eclipse also just happens to occur shortly after the Moon is closest to Earth (perigee), so that makes it a blood red "supermoon" (or a perigee-syzygy eclipse, if you want to use the astronomical term).Īll Australians will have the chance to see the most spectacular parts of the eclipse. SEE MORE: Check out the best pictures of last night's lunar eclipse There's a big red moon on the rise right across Australia, so grab your cameras and head outside if the weather is clear. ![]()
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