Yahoo – AFP,
28 Sep 2015
 |
A 'super
blood moon' is seen in the sky in Essen, western Germany,
on September 28, 2015
(AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)
|
Washington
(AFP) - Skygazers were treated to a rare astronomical event Monday when a
"supermoon" and lunar eclipse combined for the first time in decades,
showing Earth's satellite bathed in blood-red light.
The
celestial show, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, west Asia and the
east Pacific, was the result of the sun, Earth and a larger-than-life,
extra-bright moon lining up for just over an hour.
Images from
France, Argentina and the United States, among others, capture the progression
of the lunar eclipse to a striking red finale.
In
Brooklyn, New York, crowds of people gathered on plazas and sidewalks, gazing
up at the sky and trying to take photos with their smartphones -- though in
other cities, including Washington, cloud cover hid much of the spectacle.
 |
The moon
starts to eclipse as it rises above
the iconic Liver Bird on the Liver Building
in
Liverpool, north west England, early on
September 28, 2015 (AFP Photo/Paul
Ellis)
|
The event
also led to speculation about an impending apocalypse among certain followers
of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The fears
are believed to have been stoked by a statement from Mormon author Julie Rowe,
who regularly speaks to audiences about upcoming worldwide calamities.
Church
officials were forced to issue a statement warning against panic, saying that
while members should be "spiritually and physically prepared for life’s
ups and downs" they should avoid "being caught up in extreme efforts
to anticipate catastrophic events".
The
"blood moon" -- which so far has had no apocalyptic consequences --
appeared in stages across the planet as the satellite reached its closest
orbital point to Earth, called perigee, while in its brightest phase.
The
resulting "supermoon" appeared 30 percent brighter and 14 percent
larger than when at apogee, the farthest point -- which is about 31,000 miles (49,900
kilometers) from perigee.
Unusually,
the Earth took position in a straight line between the moon and the sun,
blotting out the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite glow
whitish-yellow.
But some
light still crept around the planet's edges and was filtered through its
atmosphere, casting an eerie red light that creates the blood moon.
For people
younger than 33, this was their first-ever chance to see a "super blood
moon".
The last,
only the fifth recorded since 1900, was in 1982, according to the NASA space
agency, and the next will not be until 2033.
On top of
the wow factor, the event was also of great interest for researchers.
Over a
24-day cycle, the temperature on the surface of our satellite normally varies
between highs of about 121 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit) in direct
sunlight, and lows around minus 115 C in the dark.
These
changes help researchers study the composition of the crust, as rocks warm and
cool slower than sand-like dust.
But on
Monday, the eclipse saw that temperature shift happens much faster, allowing
scientists to make detailed observations of the moon's uppermost surface.
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