Tonight’s the night to try to see blood supermoon
Tonight, if the skies are clear where you are, you’ll be able to see a total lunar eclipse that is also a supermoon – a rare combination.
According to the National Weather Service in Wichita, clear skies are expected Sunday night with temperatures in the 70s to 60s and light winds.
The combination of a total lunar eclipse and a supermoon hasn’t been seen since 1982 and won’t happen again until 2033. The moon is called a supermoon because it will be the closest to Earth for the year and will look larger and brighter than usual.
The eclipse marks the end of a tetrad, or series of four total lunar eclipses set six months apart. This series began in April 2014.
Observatories across the country are marking the celestial event with public telescope viewing, although magnifying devices won’t be necessary; the eclipse will be easily visible with the naked eye. Stargazers can look to the east, astronomers say.
Contributing: Associated Press
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Live streams of eclipse
NASA: Starting at 7 p.m. central time, broadcast from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with a live feed from the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Slooh Community Observatory network: Starting at 7 p.m., from several continents, including a broadcast from Stonehenge
University of Arizona Science SkyCenter: Starting at 8 p.m., from Mount Lemmon SkyCenter in Arizona
Sky & Telescope: Starting at 8 p.m., with commentary from lunar experts
Eclipse facts
The shadow on the moon first seen at 7:40 p.m. CDT Sunday.
Partial eclipse begins: 8:07 p.m.
Total eclipse begins: 9:11 p.m.
Mid-eclipse: 9:48 p.m.
Total eclipse ends: 10:23 p.m.
Partial eclipse ends: 11:27 p.m.
The shadow on the moon last seen: 11:55 p.m.
This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Tonight’s the night to try to see blood supermoon."