The Photos of the Rare Supermoon/Lunar Eclipse Convergence Do Not Disappoint
Take in the majesty of the unusual astrophysical event with these photos captured around the world








The moon left mouths agape around the world last night, larger and brighter than usual and glowing a melodramatic blood red—a spectacle that will not be seen again until 2033. This unusual occurrence was a rare mashup of a super-sized full moon and a total lunar eclipse, when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow. Even during a total eclipse, some of the sun’s rays filter through our atmosphere, leaving the moon with a spooky blood-red glow. Last night’s eclipsed moon was the last in a lunar eclipse tetrad, earning it the popular moniker "blood moon."
The greater size and brightness of last night’s supermoon can actually be seen at least once a year, when the full moon passes closest to the Earth in its elliptical journey around the planet. When the moon is in this position, called a perigee, it casts a silvery glow 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than when the orb is furthest away.
Though a supermoon or a lunar eclipse may not be rare on its own, the stars don’t often align for these events to occur in tandem. Since 1900, a supermoon lunar eclipse has only occurred five times, with the ruby orb last showing its enlarged face in 1982.

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Maya Wei-Haas | | Read More
Maya Wei-Haas is a freelance science writer who specializes in geology of Earth and beyond. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, News from Science, and AGU’s EOS.