Look to the sky for a rare supermoon eclipse tonight

Kansas Citians are in for a rare sight early Sunday night. There will be a total eclipse of a supermoon, and the moon will turn a red or “blood” tint.

While lunar eclipses are common, supermoon eclipses aren’t. They’ve only happened five times since 1900. The last one was in 1982, and if you miss Sunday’s, the next opportunity to see a supermoon eclipse won’t come around until 2033.

“This eclipse kind of has it all,” said Grant Miller, a NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory solar system ambassador volunteer. He leads astronomy programs at Knob Noster State Park and Powell Gardens.

First off, the moon is a supermoon, which means it’s the closest it will be to Earth for the year. It will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, Miller said.

It’s also a harvest moon. And to top it off, it’s the fourth lunar eclipse of a tetrad — a series of four total eclipses in a row that started last year. That’s a rarity in itself. There are only eight tetrads in the 21st century. The next one begins in 2032.

“This last one (tetrad) was pretty unique in that all four were viewable from North America,” Miller said.

Patrick Hess, planetarium specialist at the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station in Kansas City, said supermoons happen relatively frequently, but usually not with an eclipse.

“It’s kind of like Friday the 13th,” Hess said. “There’s a lot of Fridays and there’s a lot of 13ths, but rarely those two align.”

This eclipse is also happening at a convenient time — early in the evening on a weekend during a comfortable time of the year. This will allow a lot of people to see it.

“You can watch pretty much the whole thing and not have to stay up late or get up really early,” Miller said.

The eclipse begins about 7:10 p.m. Sunday in Kansas City, just after sunset. Most people won’t notice the eclipse until about an hour later. That’s when the moon starts to enter the umbra of Earth’s shadow.

“That is where it actually starts looking like there’s a bite taken out of the moon,” Miller said.

The moon enters the total eclipse at 9:10 p.m. and comes out at 10:23 p.m.

“There’s a chance that the moon could be a deeper red during Sunday’s eclipse if there are any particulates in the air from Western wildfires,” Miller said.

For more NASA animations and visualizations, press here.

Unlike solar eclipses, where you have to be in a narrow path to view the eclipses, lunar eclipses can be viewed by everyone on one side of Earth. Sunday’s eclipse will be visible in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of west Asia and the eastern Pacific, NASA said on its website.

You don’t even need a dark location to see it, said Joseph Wright, operations manager of the Warkoczewski Public Observatory atop Royall Hall on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus.

“I encourage people to bring binoculars to any place they go,” Wright said. “Have a backyard party of neighbors and family and get the kids out to look.”

The biggest things that are needed are clear skies and an unobstructed view of the moon. Sunday night is expected to be mostly clear with temperatures in the 60s, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast.

“Boy, if it’s clear, it will be nice,” said David Young, a staff member at the Powell Observatory north of Louisburg, Kan. “Once the eclipse starts, the stars start popping out and maybe even the Milky Way, if it gets dark enough.”

In addition to the eclipse, Miller said, there are other items to see in the sky on Sunday night, including satellites and Saturn.

“With the eclipse of the moon and Saturn both putting on a show that evening, it should be a really good night,” Miller said. “Not only will they see our moon, they will see one of Saturn’s moons — probably more than one.”

Where to watch

The eclipse can be viewed anywhere. You don’t need a dark location, only clear skies and a clear view of the moon. Here are some watch parties that are taking place Sunday:

Powell Observatory

26500 Melrose St. in Lewis-Young Park & Lake, near 263rd Street and U.S. 69 north of Louisburg, Kan.

No special festivities are planned, but the observatory will be open and astronomers will be around to answer questions. People are invited to bring chairs. Bring bug repellant and wear warm clothing. The event is free.

Warkoczewski Public Observatory

52nd and Charlotte streets, on top of Royall Hall on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus

The observatory will have a free public viewing of the eclipse, beginning with a presentation at 7 p.m. in Room 404 or 104, depending on the number of people who are attending. The observatory will open at 7:30 p.m.

Parking is on the fourth and fifth levels of the garage at 52nd and Charlotte streets. Take the bridge connecting the garage to Royall Hall and then the elevator or stairs to the fourth floor. Access the observatory via stairs through the roof hatch.

Space is limited, so no chairs are allowed. However, people can set up chairs on the top level of the parking garage.

Powell Gardens

1609 N.W. U.S. 50, east of Lone Jack

Grant Miller will lead a watch party that begins at at 6:45 p.m. There will be several telescopes set up, but people are encouraged to bring their own binoculars. Dress for cool weather.

The program costs $10 for adults, $6 for Powell Gardens members and $6 for children between 5 and 12 years old. Every fourth registration in a group is free.

For more information or to register, go to www.powellgardens.org or call 816-697-2600.

Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium

Outside on the west side of Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City

There will be a watch party starting at 7 p.m. with at least two telescopes, one trained on the moon. There will also be visual aids and materials for children to make their own star maps.

People will are encourage to bring binoculars, chairs and picnic items. Alcohol is not allowed.

The event is free, but there could be a cost for parking depending on where people park.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Look to the sky for a rare supermoon eclipse tonight."