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SALT LAKE CITY — The supermoon lunar eclipse has dazzled people on Earth only five times since 1900, but it's about to return.
From about one hour and 11 minutes on Sunday, people in North America will be able to see the lunar event, according to NASA. The last time the supermoon lunar eclipse took place was in 1982 and after Sunday it won't return until 2033.
"(It's) rare because it's something an entire generation may not have seen," NASA scientist Noah Petro said in a statement.
While both supermoons and lunar eclipses occur somewhat frequently on their own — lunar eclipses typically take place at least twice each year and supermoons happen once per year — they seldom happen at the same time. On Sunday the moon will reflect the effects of both phenomenon, appearing 14 percent larger than normal for the supermoon and blood red for the lunar eclipse.
At about 6:11 p.m. Sunday, the eclipse will start to cast a shadow on the moon, according to NASA. Totality will begin at 8:11 p.m. and end at about 9:23 p.m., peaking around 8:48 p.m.
The lunar event should be visible to the naked eye from anywhere in Utah, unless there is cloud cover. The Clark Planetarium will be hosting a free viewing party from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the rooftop of the Salt Lake City Public Library, located at 210 E. 400 South. The Salt Lake Astronomical Society will have telescopes available for a public viewing at the Bangerter Crossing Harmons, located at 125 E. 13800 South, at 7:30 p.m.
The St. George Astronomy Group will also hold a free event at Unity Park, located on 400 South between 200 West and 400 West, with telescope viewings of the moonrise starting at about 7:30 p.m.
For those who can't step outside, NASA is providing a livestream of the event from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There will be a solar physicist from NASA on hand to answer questions from the public that are sent through Twitter using the hashtag #askNASA.
In addition to North America, the supermoon lunar eclipse will also be visible in South America, Europe and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific, according to NASA.
