2015 Super Moon Hits Social
Attention space lovers and stargazers: tonight there will be a lunar phenomenon that you will not want to miss. The night sky will be adorned with a large, bright, copper-colored moon, or a "Super Blood Moon." This lunar combination brings together an eclipse, in which the moon passes directly behind the Earth into its shadow, and a supermoon, which describes a fullmoon that appears roughly 14% larger and 30% brighter than the average. The eclipse will turn the moon a red hue, which according to NASA will reach its peak by 10 p.m. Unlike lunar eclipses which occur twice a year, this remarkable combination happens every 30 years - so set your timers, grab your cameras, and capture this impressive sight before it dwindles away until 2033.
What is the source of all of the buzz surrounding this rare event on social? The one and only, NASA. The space administration has taken to Twitter to educate followers about the lunar phenomenon and to encourage sharing of the special moment.
By using the hashtag #SuperBloodMoon, users from every country in which the spectacle is visible can take and share photos of the red moon on Twitter.
As NASA TV live streams the super blood moon from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California, viewers are encouraged to use the hashtag #AskNASA on Twitter to direct questions to a solar physicist.
Tonight is an event you will want to see to believe, but if you happen to miss it or left your telescope at home, don't fret - social will be filled with pictures of the marvel from every camera angle of the globe.