Rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Coming This Month
Rare spectacle in the night sky -- the first since 1982.
— -- There will be an extra special show in the night sky this month when a rare supermoon lunar eclipse will occur for the first time since 1982.
The cosmic event will take place on the night of Sept. 27 when two periodic events -- supermoons and lunar eclipses -- will happen at the same time, making for a rare coincidence.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon happens when it is at the closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth, making the full moon appear up to 14% larger and brighter than usual. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into Earth's shadow, often turning a blood red color.
The partial lunar eclipse is set to begin at 9:07 p.m. ET and will be visible to most people in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, according to EarthSky.org. The total lunar eclipse begins at 11:11 p.m. ET.
You won't want to miss this event. The next supermoon lunar eclipse won't come around until 2033.