LAST UPDATE | 17 Sep
A RARE ECLIPSE of a supermoon will be visible in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and people across Ireland are being advised to take advantage of the clear skies to witness it.
From 3:13am to 4:16am, the partial eclipse of the moon will be visible in Irish skies. This eclipse is particularly rare as this full moon is a supermoon – meaning that the moon is at its closest to earth.
Astronomer and editor of magazine Astronomy Ireland, David Moore, said that Irish people have the rare opportunity to see the spectacle in all its glory with the unprecedented forecast of sun and clear skies.
The greatest eclipse will occur at 3:44am, when about 8.5% of the moon’s diameter will be covered by the earth’s shadow.
A large dark “bite” will be taken out of the moon’s top edge, which is the earth’s shadow in space crossing the lunar surface.
Speaking to The Journal, Moore said: “An eclipse of the moon is one of the most spectacular sights in nature, and it’s being delivered to your own backyard, so it’d be silly not to avail of a free show.
“The weather forecast for Ireland is phenomenal today, I mean, as good as it can get. Clear over the entire island, which means we want all 7 million people on the island to see this eclipse.”
For those not so keen on disrupted sleep, Moore issued assurance that witnessing the supermoon is still possible, though the eclipse is strictly designated to the early hours.
“This is a supermoon, so anybody who can’t get up at 3.44am in the morning for some reason, can watch the moon rising as the sun sets. And that’s the supermoon effect.”
A spate of astronomical phenomenons have graced Ireland in recent months, with more set to arrive. In May, the Northern Lights – or aurora borealis – were visible across the country, prompting widespread excitement.
Moore told The Journal that the next lunar eclipse will occur in March of next year, though there are no assurances as to clear skies. Three in four nights in Ireland feature cloudiness and unclear skies, he said.
“There’s lots of other things happening,” he said. “Next month, we’ve got a really bright comet coming. In November, Venus is going to be blazing in evening skies. December has the best meteor shower of the year.
“January has Mars at its closest, skip February and on to March next year, a total eclipse of the moon.”
Moore urged those who witness the eclipse to send on their best photo to Astronomy Ireland for consideration of publication in the society’s next issue of its magazine. He advised the usage of binoculars for those who have a pair, though it is not essential.
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