Supermoon + Lunar Eclipse + Blood Moon = Science You Can See!

Don't miss tonight's awesome science phenom when 3 pretty amazing things will happen:

1)  It's a SUPERMOON, which means the moon will appear extra large because of it's elliptical orbit around Earth.  If you're thinking this might be connected to last Wednesday's Autumnal Equinox, you're correct! Another way to think of a SUPERMOON is the full moon that appears closes to an equinox.

2) It's a LUNAR ECLIPSE, which is when the moon passes through Earth's shadow, making it seem to disappear for a period of time. Remember, the moon does not produce any of its own light! It simply reflects the light from the sun - like a mirror.  Here's an animated images from Nasa that might help you visualize it better:

Courtesy of NASA Tumblr

3) It's a BLOOD MOON, which means it's the 4th lunar eclipse in a row! It has nothing to do with the color.  The moon, may look quite read, but as you can see from the image above, that's common in any lunar eclipse, whether it's a supermoon, regular moon, or blood moon.  Don't worry if you thought the color helped with the name, it's a common misconception.

A Super Blood Moon has only happen 5 times since 1900, so it's a pretty big deal! 

You can read more and watch some interesting videos on this special event by clicking on the links below:

HERE is NASA's kid-friendly explanation with images and videos!

And HERE is NASA's Tumblr entry about the 3 events.  It explains what each of the 3 terms mean in a short, concise manner, and shows pictures like the one above.

***Please Note: The eclipse happens as the moon orbits the Earth, so it takesa few hour.  It won't start until just after 9pm tonight.  The full eclipse (when the moon is completely in Earth's shadow will happen between 10:11 and 11:23. Finally, it will move out of the shadow slowly and look normal by 12:27am.***

I don't expect 5J Families to stay up watching this ALL NIGHT!  But, with all the technology we have in the world, I'm sure we'll all be able to see it on a time lapse video.  I'll update the blog as soon as one is available.
STAY TUNED!