Sunday, September 27, 2015

The 4th & Last Total Lunar Eclipse of the 2104-2015 TETRAD! (Sep 27+28, 2015)

September 27-28, 2015
4th & Last Total Lunar Eclipse
of the 2104-2015 TETRAD*!
(next TETRAD is in 17 years)

(Shelley [KF7TBA] -- At 8:20PM in Seatac)
PLUS:
Sam [KD7PWA] + "Pirate Radio" Dave [KD7PWB]'s
Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party on "L" Dock TONIGHT!
The usual rules apply:
1) They supply the grill and coals --
YOU bring what you want to eat and drink
2) Talk-In Frequency = 147.480 Simplex
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This is the last eclipse in the 2014 – 2015 Lunar Tetrad*
September 27 / September 28, 2015 — Total Lunar Eclipse
    In the US, Canada, and Central and South America,
this rare Total Lunar Eclipse of a Supermoon will begin on the
evening of September 27, 2015.
    In Europe, South/East Asia, Africa, the Arctic, and in the Pacific, Atlantic,
and Indian Oceans it starts after midnight on September 28, 2015.
Also called a Blood Moon this eclipse will last for about 1 hour and 12 minutes.
(Is this Total Lunar Eclipse visible in Seattle?)

Global Type: Total Lunar Eclipse
Seattle: Total Lunar Eclipse
Begins: Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 5:11 PM
Maximum: Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 7:47 PM
 
(ABOVE: At 7:47PM (MAX) in Seatac)
(BELOW: At 8:20PM in Seatac)
(ABOVE: At 8:35PM in Seatac)
Ends: Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 10:22 PM
Duration: 5 hours, 11 minutes
Seattle Sunset: 6:57 PM
*LUNAR TETRAD =
four consecutive total lunar eclipses,
spaced at six lunar months apart from one another
These are the dates for the upcoming 2014-2015 tetrad:
2014:
Total lunar eclipse: April 14-15
Total lunar eclipse: October 7-8
2015:
Total lunar eclipse: April 4 
Total lunar eclipse: September 28
    How common is a tetrad of total lunar eclipses?
    Depending upon the century in which you live, a lunar tetrad (four consecutive total lunar eclipses, spaced at six lunar months apart from one another) may happen fairly frequently – or not at all.
    For instance, in our 21st century (2001-2100), there are a total 8 tetrads, but in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, there were none at all.
    If we include all the centuries from the 1st century (AD 1-100) through the 21st century (2001-2100), inclusive, there are a total of 62 tetrads.
   The last one occurred in 2003-2004, and the next one after the 2014-2015 tetrad will happen in 2032-2033!
About tonight's Harvest Moon Eclipse
(from Earthsky.org):
There is a total eclipse of the moon on the night of September 27-28, 2015.
It happens to be the closest supermoon of 2015.
    It’s the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon, or full moon nearest the September equinox. It’s the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring.
    This September full moon is also called a Blood Moon, because it presents the fourth and final eclipse of a lunar tetrad: four straight total eclipses of the moon, spaced at six lunar months (full moons) apart. Phew!

    The total lunar eclipse is visible from the most of North America and all of South America after sunset September 27. From eastern South America and Greenland, the greatest eclipse happens around midnight September 27-28.
    In Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the total eclipse takes place in the wee hours of the morning, after midnight and before sunrise September 28.
    A partial lunar eclipse can be seen after sunset September 27 from western Alaska, or before sunrise September 28 in far-western Asia.
    Photo top of post shows a partial phase of the April 14-15, 2014 total lunar eclipse by Fred Espenak.
(from Earthsky.org)
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 (from: http://classicalastronomy.com/)
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Previous Friday Night Insomniac-Net Questions about the 2014-15 TETRAD Eclipses:
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