Total Eclipse of the Harvest Moon  
    
  Sept. 22, 2015: In the days before light bulbs, farmers relied on moonlight  
  to  
  help them harvest their crops.  Many crops ripen all at once in late summer  
  and early autumn so farmers found themselves extremely busy at this time of  
  year. They had to work after sundown.  Moonlight became an essential part of  
  farming, and thus, the Harvest Moon was born.  
    
  According to folklore, the Harvest Moon is the full Moon that falls closest  
  to  
  the autumnal equinox, the hectic beginning of northern autumn. In 2015, the  
  Moon is full on Sept. 28th, less than a week after the equinox of Sept.  
  23rd.  
  The coincidence sets the stage for a nice display of harvest moonlight.  
   http://youtu.be/j7RMmitoex0  
    
  But wait.  This year's Harvest Moon is not like the others.  It's going to  
  be  
  eclipsed.  
    
  On Sep. 27-28, 2015, the super Harvest Moon will pass through the shadow of  
  Earth, producing a lovely amber total lunar eclipse.  
    
  On the night of Sept. 27 and into the early hours of Sept. 28, the full Moon  
  will glide through the shadow of Earth, turning the Harvest Moon a golden-  
  red  
  color akin to autumn leaves.  
    
  The action begins at 9:07 PM Eastern Time on the evening of Sept 27th when  
  the  
  edge of the Moon first enters the amber core of Earth's shadow.  For the  
  next  
  three hours and 18 minutes, Earth's shadow will move across the lunar disk.  
    
  Totality begins at 10:11 PM Eastern Time.  That's when the Moon is  
  completely  
  enveloped by the shadow of our planet.  Totality lasts for an hour and 12  
  minutes so there is plenty of time to soak up the suddenly-red moonlight.  
    
  The reason the Moon turns red may be found on the surface of the Moon  
  itself.  
  Using your imagination, fly to the Moon and stand inside a dusty lunar  
  crater.  Look up. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside facing you, completely  
  hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway.  
    
  You might suppose that the Earth overhead would be completely dark.  After  
  all, you're looking at the nightside of our planet. Instead, something  
  amazing  
  happens.  When the sun is located directly behind Earth, the rim of the  
  planet  
  seems to catch fire! The darkened terrestrial disk is ringed by every  
  sunrise  
  and every sunset in the world, all at once. This light filters into the  
  heart  
  of Earth's shadow, suffusing it with a coppery glow.  
    
  Back on Earth, the shadowed Moon becomes a great red orb.  
    
  One more thing: The full Moon of Sept. 28th occurs near the perigee of the  
  Moon's orbit-that is, the point closest to Earth.  This makes the Harvest  
  Moon  
  a "supermoon."  
    
  The super Harvest Moon eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Europe,  
  and  
  Africa.  It brings an end to a remarkable series of four consecutive total  
  lunar eclipses visible from North America-a so-called "tetrad." Perhaps the  
  heavens have saved the best for last.  
    
  If you live in the eclipse zone, mark your calendar for Sept. 27-28, and  
  enjoy  
  the show.  
    
  For more beautiful sights in the night sky, stay tuned to science.nasa.gov  
    
    
  Regards,  
    
  Roger  
    
  --- D'Bridge 3.99  
   * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)