14 DAY TRIAL // This past Sunday, September 27, the Moon moved behind Earth and was engulfed by its shadow. The event happened just as the orb was especially close to our planet and so appeared about 14% bigger than it usually does. The result: a supermoon lunar eclipse.
In a nutshell, what we got to witness was a freakishly big Moon that, being in Earth's shadow, also appeared a tad reddish. It was a night to remember and the photos below show what it looked like to the skywatchers who took the time to observe it.
During nighttime, this year's supermoon lunar eclipse was visible to people in North and South America. Then, in the early hours of Monday, September 28, it was also visible from Europe and Africa. Apparently, many sacrificed their sleep to watch it.
As mentioned, supermoon lunar eclipses happen when the Moon passes in our planet's shadow just as its orbit brings it close enough to Earth so that it appears bigger in the sky. It's a rather complicated choreography, which explains why such events aren't very common.
In fact, astronomers say the last time a supermoon lunar eclipse was documented was back in 1982. As for the next one, it will happen sometime in 2033.
Because the Moon becomes reddish when in Earth's shadow, some like to call such cosmic shows blood moons. It sounds quite creepy, but there really isn't anything to worry about. Just our Solar System going about its business, as it has for billions of years.
