Triple Moon
Posted by Luke Lohmeyer
on Sep 22, 2015
It's not often you get to see three lunar events in one night, but Sept. 27 will give you a chance.
If skies are clear, you'll be able to witness a harvest moon, supermoon and a blood moon eclipse - all in one night.
Eclipse: A total lunar eclipse will be visible on the night of September 27. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow, which makes it appear dark red in color.
Blood moon: The reason the moon will appear red instead of its normal color is that the Earth blocks the direct white-colored sunlight that normally illuminates the moon. The moon does not completely disappear from sight because indirect sunlight still reaches it. The Earth’s atmosphere filters out most blue colored light, leaving the moon to appear red. This coloration leads many to refer to this phenomenon as a “blood moon.”
Harvest moon and Supermoon: Something particularly special about the lunar eclipse is that this full moon is a Harvest Moon and a supermoon. A harvest moon is a full moon that occurs at the time closest to the autumnal equinox, and a supermoon is when a full or new moon occurs when the moon is at its closest approach to Earth. It also happens to be the closest supermoon of the year, which will make the moon appear larger than usual. For the Chicagoland area:
Begins: Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 7:11 PM
Maximum: Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 9:47 PM
Ends: Mon, Sep 28, 2015 at 12:22 AM
Duration: 5 hours, 11 minutes
The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible in the eastern United States is not until January 20, 2019. So make sure you get outside to watch this spectacular event!