The supermoon-total lunar eclipse is upon us! The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center and its partner the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation will host a viewing event for a rare super moon-total lunar eclipse on Sunday, September 27.
Kim Check, the Visitor Center manager, said, “The moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow on the evening of 27 September. This event occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun, and therefore passes through the Earth’s shadow – a.k.a. a lunar eclipse. This will be a complete eclipse, meaning that the moon will be completely covered by the Earth’s shadow.”
The event begins with a Lunar Eclipse presentation at the NASA Visitor Center’s Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. followed by eclipse and night sky observations through telescopes, binoculars and the naked eye on the grounds of the Visitor Center from 9:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Moon-themed movies, hands-on activities and crafts also will be available.
Bob Lingo, board member of the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, said “The eclipse is also occurring during a “super moon”, which is when the moon is a bit closer to the Earth in its orbit. This makes the full moon look a little bigger and more impressive than it already is. An eclipse during a super moon doesn’t happen very often. The next one will occur in 2033.”
The eclipse timeline (all times EDT):
Partial Eclipse begins: Sep 27 at 9:07 PM
Full Eclipse begins: Sep 27 at 10:11 PM
Maximum Eclipse: Sep 27 at 10:47 PM
Full Eclipse ends: Sep 27 at 11:23 PM
Partial Eclipse ends: Sep 28 at 12:27 AM
The event is free and open to the public. The auditorium presentations will occur regardless of weather, however, outdoor eclipse observation is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.
The NASA Visitor Center, located on Va. Rt. 175 about six miles from U.S. Route 13 and five miles from Chincoteague, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information about the total lunar eclipse event or the Visitor Center, Call 757-824-1344 or visit:
