A rare astronomical phenomenon Sunday night will produce a moon that will appear slightly bigger than usual and have a reddish hue, an event known as a super blood moon.
It’s a combination of curiosities that hasn’t happened since 1982... A so-called supermoon, which occurs when the moon is closest to earth in its orbit, will coincide with a lunar eclipse, leaving the moon in Earth’s shadow. Individually, the two phenomena are not uncommon, but they do not align often.
For these kinds of events, we usually look to local astronomy buff Felton Davis of Maryhouse, who sets up his telescope in strategic points in the neighborhood. However, he is out of town at the moment... in his absence, EV resident Danielle Baskin along with her friend Maya Eilam and Joanne Kennedy from the Maryhouse are operating the telescope. Felton has trained them how to set up the gear ... so if the weather cooperates, then East Village residents can still view the spectacle.
Danielle and company will be by the Second Avenue F station (Second Avenue and East Houston) from 7 p.m. onward. The eclipse should reach totality at around 10:45 p.m.
Keep in mind that this moon won't happen again until 2033, the same time when work is expected to be complete at the Astor Place Reconstruction Project
Image via the U.S. Naval Observatory
Updated 9-28
A good number of people turned out that evening to take in the super blood moon here on Second Avenue between East First Street and Houston…
[Photo via Danielle Baskin]
