Rare supermoon eclipse on Sunday closes 'blood moon' tetrad


Sure, you may have seen a lunar eclipse before. But what about a supermoon eclipse?
This special eclipse occurs during a "supermoon," a time when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it look bigger and brighter than normal. Because the sun still peeks in around the edges, the supermoon appears red. It will be a sight to behold when this happens Sunday night in tandem with an eclipse, so savor it — this hasn't happened since 1982, and the next supermoon eclipse won't happen until 2033.
To make it all the more unusual, Sunday's supermoon eclipse is also the final in a blood moon tetrad, also known as a lunar tetrad. A blood moon tetrad occurs when there are four lunar eclipses in a six-month period — a highly unusual occurrence that has sparked apocalyptic theories.
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Not in the right part of the world to see the eclipse? Cloudy outside? Bed just too cozy? That's fine: There will be a multi-continent live stream (with a camera at Stonehenge!) available here.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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