Watch the Rare Supermoon Eclipse This Weekend That's Also a Harvest Moon

First Posted: Sep 22, 2015 01:43 PM EDT
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This Sunday, make sure to look to the skies; you're in for a rare treat. There's going to be a total eclipse of the moon on the night of September 27 to 28, and it happens to also be the closest supermoon of 2015.

The event itself should be dazzling in the night skies, as long as they're clear. But if you miss it, don't worry. The moon will be recorded by several different organizations, including Slooh.

On the night of Sept. 27, the moon will reach perigee, which is the point at which the moon's orbit is closest to the Earth. At this point, the moon appears 14 percent larger and about 30 percent brighter than normal. This, in particular, is what has been dubbed a "supermoon" by the media.

But the moon won't just be a supermoon. It's also what is known as the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon nearest to the September equinox. In addition, the moon will be what is known as a Blood moon, because it presents the fourth and final eclipse of a lunar tetrad, which is four straight total eclipses of the moon, spaced at six lunar months apart.

This rare event doesn't come without doomsayers, though. There are several who believe that this eclipse coinciding with the supermoon has religious significance. Christian Today, in particular, quotes the Bible with "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord."

In fact, there are those that believe that the supermoon lunar eclipse will coincide with global conflict, financial upheaval and natural disasters, according to News.com. One Christian minister, Mark Blitz, believes that Jewish tetrads have always coincided with events of great historical significance.

However, it's unlikely that any true disasters will occur with this particular sky event. Instead, the moon will simply turn a ruddy hue as it passes within the Earth's shadow, which will block the moon's light.

While you'll be able to see the event with the naked eye, you could enhance the experience with binoculars or a telescope. Whichever method you choose, just make sure to look up.

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