Rare ‘blood moon’ to be visible across every state in Australia for last time in three years

A must-see special “blood moon” will emerge across Australia skies on Tuesday night, with the transformation visible from every state.

The lunar eclipse will be visible on March 3 and it will be the last time one will to be seen from Earth for the next three years.

It is estimated to last 58 minutes and will occur at different times depending on the time zone.

“You don’t need a telescope – just step outside and look up,” said University of Sydney astrophysicist* Dr Laura Driessen.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow upon the moon during a full moon.

As a result, the moon turns a dark reddish colour as the sunlight filters through the Earth’s atmosphere*.

“Lunar eclipses are one of the most accessible and awe-inspiring astronomical* events we can experience,” Dr Driessen said.

Be sure to let your parents and guardians know that tonight’s lunar eclipse viewing times are as follows in Australian capitals. For those in regional and remote areas, align viewing time to the nearest capital as provided below.

• In Sydney, the partial eclipse will start at 8:50pm with the full eclipse beginning at 10:04pm and ending at 11:02pm
• In Melbourne, the partial eclipse will start at 8:50pm with the full eclipse beginning at 10:04pm and ending at 11:02pm
• In Canberra, the partial eclipse will start at 8:05pm with the full eclipse beginning at 10:04pm and ending at 11:02pm
• In Hobart, the partial eclipse will start at 8:05pm with the full eclipse beginning at 10:04pm and ending at 11:02pm
• In Brisbane, the partial eclipse will start at 7:50pm with the full eclipse beginning at 9:04pm and ending at 10:02pm
• In Adelaide, the partial eclipse will start at 8:34pm with the full eclipse beginning at 9:44pm and ending at 10:32pm
• In Darwin, the partial eclipse will start at 7:34pm with the full eclipse beginning at 8:34pm and ending at 9:32pm
• In Perth, the moonrise* will start at 6:43pm with the full eclipse beginning at 7:04pm and ending at 8:02pm

*The moonrise at 6:43pm is already partially eclipsed

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GLOSSARY

• astrophysicist: scientist who studies astrophysics tars and other objects in space using physical laws
• Earth’s atmosphere: the layer of gas that surrounds Earth and often called air. Other planets, and some of their larger moons, also have atmosphere, and these mixed gases are important for sustaining life on Earth by absorbing radiation from the sun
• astronomical: related to the scientific study of the universe and of objects that exist naturally in space, such as the moon, the sun, planets, and stars

EXTRA READING

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Rare ‘blood moon’ lunar eclipse

Moon’s rate triple treat

QUICK QUIZ

1. How long is the blood moon expected to be visible?
2. When does a lunar eclipse occur?
3. What causes the moon to turn a reddish colour?
4. Will Australians need a telescope to witness tonight’s blood moon?
5. When will the next opportunity to see the phenomenon return to Earth?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. News: condensed
Identify the most important pieces of information in this article and write a condensed version of it using 50 words or less.

Draw a picture or diagram to support your condensed news story.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science

2. Extension
Compare your condensed news story with a classmate. Did you both include the same information or are your stories quite different? Discuss your choices and then work together to create a final condensed version of the story that you both agree tells the important parts that a reader would need or want to know.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.

Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.

Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.

Take two turns each.

Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?

Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?