September 24, 2015Blog by Clyde SimpsonObservatory Manager and EducatorGet ready for a celestial spectacle as the Moon undergoes a total lunar eclipse the evening of Sunday, September 27. This is the final of a "tetrad" of four lunar eclipses spread at intervals of about six months, and will be the last total lunar eclipse visible until January 2018. It will also be a deep eclipse, with the Moon carrying far into the Earth's umbra shadow for a lengthy hour and twelve minutes.Ohio observers are especially fortunate because the Moon will already be positioned well above the horizon when the eclipse commences. And the event occurs at a relatively convenient hour in the evening. What makes this eclipse even more special is that the Harvest Moon will be the closest Full Moon to the Earth during the entire year, a so-called "supermoon" that will be 13% larger in diameter than it was for last year's April lunar eclipse. You will never see a bigger eclipsed Moon!There are several stages to the eclipse, starting when the Moon edges into the Earth's fainter outer, or penumbral, shadow at 8:40pm. You won't notice anything at first, but as the Moon progresses towards the Earth's inner, or umbral shadow, you'll start to notice significant darkening on the Moon's upper left limb. Partial eclipse starts at 9:07pm and within moments the motion of the Moon through the Earth's dark shadow will be obvious. Totality begins at 10:11pm when the Moon is completely within the Earth's shadow. Mid-eclipse is at 10:48pm, and the sequences reverse, with the Moon leaving the umbra at 11:23pm, the end of totality. Partial eclipse ends at 12:27am Monday morning.The Moon will turn an orangish color during the eclipse. This is the scattered sunlight of the combined sunrises and sunsets of the Earth's atmosphere scattering the reddish soft light to the Moon. If you were standing on the lunar surface during total eclipse looking back towards the Earth, you would witness a total eclipse of the Sun, with the Earth encircled by a gleaming orange-red circle of the Earth's atmosphere.Nothing special is required to observe this eclipse other than clear skies, a lawn chair and your beverage of choice. Enjoy!See more recent blogs from the Museum.