Monday, January 29, 2018

Super Moons & Glitter Balls


On 31st January you could witness a very rare total lunar eclipse of a super moon. If you live in the USA then you should be able to see the eclipse before sunrise on Wednesday. If you live in the east of Russia, the Middle East, Asia, Australia or New Zealand the eclipse can be seen during moon-rise on Wednesday morning.

Those who live on the west coast should get the best view in the United States. However even those living on the east coast should be able to see at least a partial eclipse of the moon (weather permitting). Time and Date has created an interactive map for the event. Their Map of the Total Lunar Eclipse shows where a total eclipse will be visible and where a partial eclipse can be seen.

If you click on the map you can view the length of the eclipse at the selected location and when the eclipse will begin and end.


If the lunar eclipse won't be visible where you live then you might want to look out for the Humanity Star instead. The Humanity Star was launched into orbit on the 21st January. It is a geodesic satellite with 65 reflective panels. As the satellite spins it reflects the sun's light, so that it can be seen from Earth with the naked eye. The satellite orbits the Earth every 90 minutes. The orbit of the Humanity Star will decay after about nine months. Then, as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, it will completely burn up.

If you want to view the Humanity Star then you can find out when it will be visible from your location on the Humanity Star tracking map. The map shows the satellite's current position above the Earth, it's track and when it can next be seen from your location.

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