Will the lunar eclipse of the supermoon be visible with the naked eye or do you need a telescope?
The second of four supermoons this year will have the added delight of presenting stargazers with a partial lunar eclipse. Here’s how you can best see it.
Americans across the Lower 48 are going to get a show on Tuesday evening when the Sun, Earth and Moon align for the Harvest Full Moon. Not just because it will be the second of four supermoons this autumn, but our natural satellite will pass through our planet’s shadow.
While it won’t be as awe-inspiring as a “blood moon” when our closest heavenly neighbor and companion through the cosmos is totally eclipsed, it will still be a sight to see when a “reddish bite” is taken out of the Moon. Over the course of roughly an hour a portion of the top part of the Moon will pass through the umbra of Earth, the darker inner shadow where no direct light is present from the Sun.
At its maximum, which is due to take place at 10:44 pm EDT, 7:44 pm PDT, according to NASA, around eight percent of the Moon’s surface will be visibly darkened. The whole event will last approximately four hours.
And thanks to the relatively early time it is taking place you won’t have to stay up late to enjoy the astronomical phenomenon. However, how can you best view this celestial marvel?
Will the lunar eclipse of the supermoon be visible with the naked eye or do you need a telescope?
Unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses can be safely viewed with the naked eye. However, you may want to whip out the binoculars, field scope or telescope if you have one to get a better more detailed view of the Earth’s shadow engulfing a portion of the Moon.
Catching sight of the event as it comes into view will make it seem even bigger than it really is thanks to the ‘big moon illusion’. To know exactly where it will appear on the horizon there is an online application MoonCalc, which will come in useful if you want to take a picture.
How to take a picture of the Super Blue Moon?
If you are looking to catch the perfect photo of the supermoon there are some tools that can help you. For your smartphone there is a useful app, PhotoPills, available for iOS and Android. So that you can make the most of using the app PetaPixel gives a walk through of the app’s features.