Thursday 17th September 2015

Forest School at Compton Verney.

  

On September 28, we will witness an astronomical event that hasn’t happened since 1982: a supermoon lunar eclipse.
A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its full phase at the same time as it hits its closest approach to Earth.
The result is a stunning sight as it appears to be much larger and brighter than normal.
What is a supermoon?
“When the moon is farthest away it’s known as apogee, and when it’s closest it’s known as perigee,” explained Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
“On Sept. 28, we’re going to have a perigee full moon—the closest full moon of the year,” he said.

When can I see it?
The moon will be at its brightest at around 2am on the morning of September 28.
But what makes that night so important is that a second lunar phenomenon will also be taking place.
We will witness a lunar eclipse as the moon falls completely within the Earth’s shadow during its passage.
When the direct light from the sun is blocked, the moon will turn a reddish colour as it instead reflects the sunsets and sunrises happening on Earth.

The Blood Moon will also occur on September 28
The supermoon will become a so-called Blood Moon.
Is the world going to end?
This is the fourth Blood Moon of the year which those who believe the Blood Moon Prophecy says will bring on the apocalypse.
Many biblical theorists maintain the event will trigger the Rapture and the start of a seven-year-tribulation.
These theories, which are restricted to tiny minority of churches and groups, have been dismissed by scientists and are thought to be well wide of the mark.
Despite some claims, the apocalypse won’t occur on September 28
Fortunately for us, almost all asteroids are destroyed due to the extreme atmospheric friction heating they receive, breaking up into harmless shards that burn up before hitting the ground.
And, even NASA has dismissed claims of the end of days.
“The only thing that will happen on Earth during an eclipse is that people will wake up the next morning with neck pain because they spent the night looking up,” said Petro.
How long will it last and where can I see it?
The lunar eclipse will last for around one hour and 12 minutes.
It will be visible to Europe, North and South America, Africa parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific.

NASA has ruled out an asteroid striking the Earth on September 28 – an impact supposedly foretold by the Blood Moon.
The space agency says it is constantly monitoring the heavens for signs of any incoming asteroids and has given the all-clear.
It uses an automated collision monitoring system called Sentry that continually scans an “asteroid catalogue” for the possibility of an impact.
“NASA knows of no asteroid or comet currently on a collision course with Earth, so the probability of a major collision is quite small,” said a spokesperson.
“In fact, as best as we can tell, no large object is likely to strike the Earth any time in the next several hundred years.”
Plenty of conspiracy theorists are concerned about the appearance of a Blood Moonon September 28 – an event they believe signals the end of days.
The hypothesis was originally made famous by Christian ministers John Hagee and Mark Biltz.
They said the ongoing “tetrad” – four consecutive lunar eclipses which began in April 2014 with six full moons in between – is the indicator of the end of earth as described in the Bible in Acts 2:20 and Revelation 6:12 .
Concerned stargazers believe the Blood Moon could signal the end.
In reality, a Blood Moon is a a rather spectacular sight caused by the reflection of sunlight on the Earth’s atmosphere – which is red to the naked eye.
So if you’re worried about impending doom, check out this handy guide to tell you everything you need to know.
What is a Blood Moon?
Fans of the Twilight books are already familiar with this term, but alas it has nothing to do with blood sucking vampires.
In fact a Blood Moon is a rather spectacular sight caused by the reflection of sunlight on the Earth’s atmosphere – which is red to the naked eye. The blood moon acquires a golden, copper, or even rusty-red color depending on where the sun is – and it’s usually low in the sky or near the horizon.

What is the Blood Moon Prophecy?
The hypothesis was originally made famous by Christian ministers John Hagee and Mark Biltz who said the ongoing “tetrad” – four consecutive lunar eclipses which began in April 2014 with six full moons in between – is the indicator of the end of earth as described in the Bible in Acts 2:20 and Revelation 6:12.
The pair insist some sort of tragic event is set to hit earth and possibly wipe it out – but the reality is this is not the first time we’ve had such a phenomenon. “The last time there was a tetrad was back in the 1900s, and to my amazement, they also fell on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles,” explains Blitz. “When I noticed the years these phenomena occurred, my mind began reeling. The last two times there were four blood moons in a row, they happened, first, right after Israel became a nation in 1948, and then again when Israel retook Jerusalem in 1967.”
The “blood moon” theory is interpreted from the Book of Joel, which says: “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”
Why all the doom and gloom?
Well, it’s complicated and it depends who you believe. Some say it signals a significant celestial event, others say it will trigger the second coming while more yet are predicting a catastrophic asteroid hit that will blow the planet to smitherines.
Rev Efrain Rodriguez is one self-proclaimed prophet who is so convinced he got a message from God – in fact, he was so sure of it, he wrote to NASA to warn them about his fears. He regularly updates readers of his Facebook page with stark warnings he says are from a deity – and for those who believe him – it’s a pretty bleak outlook.

If what he’s saying is true then it’s time to say goodbye to loved ones as he claims an asteroid up to 2.5miles wide will strike Puerto Rico and will go on to wipe out the world as we know it.
Rodriguez’s vision saw a massive asteroid “entering the airspace of the town of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, striking the sea between the island of Mona and Mayaguez and triggering a magnitude 12 earthquake.”
If it has any basis in fact, this claim would undoubtedly cause a planet altering event – as the world’s most powerful earthquake left 4,485 people dead and injured as well as 2 million homeless after it struck southern Chile in 1960. It was 9.5 on the Richter scale.

So when is this likely to happen?
While those behind the theory claim the so-called prophecies are set to strike a blow – but they can’t pin point an exact date.
The outcome of the end of days could actually be anywhere from September 21 to 28 – with some eyeing a final date of around September 23 or 24.
For those who are simply interested in watching the spectacle of the last lunar tetrad – the fourth eclipse in this trend will take place on the night of September 27 into 28.

What are the scientists saying?
If you’re not sure what to believe and think the prophecy could come true – you are in good company. However it might not be time to pack your survival kit just yet or call up Richard Branson to see if you can book a spot on his space craft either.
Such is the hysteria in America, NASA have taken the unusual step of issuing a statement to clarify matters.
NASA/JSC
Paul Chodas, from NASA’s Near-Earth Object office, has thrown out the claims.
“There is no existing evidence that an asteroid or any other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth,” he said. “In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century. There is no scientific basis, not one shred of evidence, that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth on those dates.”