WASHINGTON: The moon will stage a rare triple show on Wednesday when a blue super moon combines with a total lunar eclipse that will be visible from western North America to eastern Asia, US astronomers say. The overlap of a blue moon — the second full moon in a calendar month — with a lunar eclipse while the moon is at its closest approach to the earth is the first such celestial trifecta since 1982, said Noah Petro, a research scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center outside Washington. “Just having these three things simultaneously occur is unusual,” Petro said in a telephone interview. “A blue moon is not extremely rare but it’s a nice coincidence that it happens in conjunction with these other two.” The moon will reach its fullest on Wednesday at 8:27 am EST (13:27 GMT). A blue moon normally occurs about once every 2-1/2 years. This month’s first full moon was on January 1. The blue moon also will be a super moon, which occurs when it is at or near its closest point to the earth, or perigee. A super moon is about 14 per cent brighter than usual, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. — Reuters
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