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In the not-too-distant future, people in North America will see lunar eclipses on March 23, 2016; Feb. 10, 2017; Jan. 31, 2018; and Jan. 20, 2019. And for good measure, there will be a solar eclipse visible from North America on Aug. 21, 2017.

That rumour about 2033? That’s the next eclipse of what some websites are breathlessly calling supermoons. A “supermoon” only means the moon is a bit closer to Earth than usual. Most viewers won’t notice a difference.

And yes, it was completely safe to watch. An eclipse of the sun is the one that is dangerous to look at.

Lionel Dionne

Now, about all those cute moon phrases you’re bound to hear:

• A supermoon sounds more important than it is. This just means the moon is at its closest approach of the year to Earth, so it appears slightly larger than usual — about 14 per cent bigger than at its most distant position of the year, which is a difference that people often have trouble seeing with the naked eye. Supermoons are also brighter — but this won’t matter during an eclipse.

The moon’s orbit is not quite round. At its closest, the moon is about 50,000 kilometres closer to Earth than when it reaches the most distant part of its orbit.

If supermoons are your thing, then you’re in luck. The last time we had one during an eclipse was in 1982; the next will be in 2033.

Photo by Jana Chytilova / Ottawa Citizen

• A “blood moon” is also less dramatic than it sounds. A lunar eclipse, when the moon slides through Earth’s shadow, isn’t a complete blackout of the moon. Instead it becomes dimmer, with a reddish-orange tinge, and lately some astronomy websites have started calling it a blood moon. (It’s not THAT red.) This coloration happens every time the moon is eclipsed, or about twice a year. The last eclipse was in April.