Armchair astronomers will be treated to the second 'blood Moon' in a series of four, today Wednesday October 8.
QUT astrophysicist Dr Stephen Hughes said it would be the second in a rare tetrad (series of four) of total lunar eclipses and people wanting a close-up look couldcome to QUT's Gardens Point campus in the city where a telescope would be set up on the Kidney Lawn, outside Old Government House.
Dr Hughes said the shadow of the Earth would begin to pass across the Moon's surface at 7.20pm, reaching full eclipse at 8.30pm and remain in total eclipse until 9.30pm.
"A blood Moon occurs when the orbit of the Moon is nearly perfectly aligned with the orbit of the Earth around the Sun," Dr Hughes said.
"The simultaneous occurrence of all sunsets and sunrises on the rim of the Earth, make the Moon red.
"This blood Moon will be more spectacular than the one we saw back in April because it will happen much higher and brighter in the sky.
"The Moon will be in the east, about 20 degrees above the horizon and end at 51 degrees. The Queensland coastline will be a great vantage point from which to watch the eclipse, although many will be able to see it clearly from their yards.
"If we were on the moon during this eclipse, we would see a bright orange-red ring in the sky where the Earth should be. The light from that bright ring bathes the moon in a reddish glow, which we can see from Earth.
"QUT Students will take photographs of the Moon before and after the eclipse in an experiment to measure the Moon's brightness."
To get a visual perspective, graphic artist David Sawell has generated the 'ring of fire' by using the colours from a photo taken from the International Space Station.
Mr Sawell said the thickness of the ring was then adjusted to be the same as the thickness of the atmosphere and then inserted into a photo taken from the surface of the Moon against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
Dr Hughes said the planet Uranus would be close to the Moon during the eclipse and would also be visible.
Dr Hughes said the next blood Moons would occur on April 4 and September 28, 2015.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
