Astronomy can be a bloody business. Just ask Tycho Brahe who had his nose cut off in a duel following a squabble over a mathematical formula.
And later today, large areas of Europe, including Denmark, will be treated to another reddish moon, although it will be more orangey than the intensely bloody hue it turned on 27 September 2015.
Handy for the harvest
Today’s Harvest Moon – the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox on September 22, so-called because it gave farmers extra light to continue working on their harvest – is for the second year coinciding with a lunar (technically a penumbral) eclipse, as the rocky satellite makes its closest approach of the year to Earth, and our planet’s shadow starts to creep over.
The results can be varied: from a reddish, orange hue to intense shading. But at least the skies should be clear – or at least everywhere in Denmark bar southern Jutland, which might experience some rain in the early hours.
Best at around 9 pm
The best time to look up into the skies will be 20:54, when 91 percent of the moon’s surface will be in Earth’s shadow, and it is advised you use binoculars or a telescope to fully appreciate the phenomenon.
In total it will last four hours, from 18:54 to 22:54, although the moon will not be visible in Denmark until a little later. It will rise in the east, so it’s best advised to find a location with good views in that direction.
Tonight will be the last harvest moon eclipse visible from Denmark until 2033.
More details can be found here.
