Super moon lunar eclipse: September 28, 2015

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov

A rare event will occur on September 28, 2015. It will be a super moon lunar eclipse. Since 1900 it has only happened five times: 1910, 1928, 1946, 1964, and 1982. After 2015, the next super moon lunar eclipse will occur in 2033.

A super moon occurs about 3 or 4 times a year when the moon is closest to the Earth – about 360,000 kilometres away, instead of the usual 384,000 kilometres away (238,900 miles). Because it is closest to the Earth it looks about 12% to 14% larger than usual, and it seems to shine about 25-30 times brighter than usual.

Lunar eclipses occur twice a year (sometimes 3 times a year) when the moon is eclipsed by the Earth moving between the moon and the Sun. Last year in 2014 a lunar eclipse occured on April 15 and October 8. This year a lunar eclipse occured on April 4. This lunar eclipse on September 28, 2015, is a total lunar eclipse, taking about 3 hours to pass into darkness and re-emerge. It is likely to be seen in western Asia, Africa, Europe, eastern Pacific, and the Americas. The next lunar eclipse (a penumbral eclipse) will occur on March 23, 2016.

Combing a lunar eclipse with a super moon occurs about every 18 years or longer.

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