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SCIENCEThursday 24 September
Supermoon plus eclipse equals rare sky show Sunday night
MARCIA DUNN This Sept. 13, 2015 image provided by NASA shows the moon, sional and amateur alike, hours earlier.
AP Aerospace Writer left, and the Earth, top, transiting the sun together, seen from the dislike the term “super- There won’t be another to-
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Solar Dynamics Observatory. moon,” noting the vis- tal lunar eclipse until 2018.
(AP) — Get ready for a rare ible difference between This weekend’s eclipse
double feature this week- Associated Press a moon and supermoon marks the end of a tetrad,
end, starring our very own is slight to all but the most or series of four total lu-
moon. He is deputy project for moon from LRO. We’re see- faithful observers. nar eclipses set six months
A total lunar eclipse will the Lunar Reconnaissance ing that it’s not this static “It’s not like the difference apart. This series began in
share the stage with a so- Orbiter, or LRO, which has dead body in the sky ... between an ordinary man April 2014.
called supermoon Sunday been studying the moon it’s this great astronomical and Superman,” said Alan The 21st century will see
night or early Monday, de- from lunar orbit since 2009. object that we have in our MacRobert, a senior editor eight of these tetrads, an
pending where you are. “The moon’s a dynamic backyard, essentially. So at Sky & Telescope maga- uncommonly good run.
That combination hasn’t place,” Petro said Wednes- people should get out and zine. “It really ought to be From 1600 to 1900, there
been seen since 1982 and day. “We’re seeing chang- start looking at it.” called a tiny, slightly little bit were none. Observatories
won’t happen again until es on the surface of the Many stargazers, profes- bigger moon, rather than are marking the celestial
2033. the supermoon.” event with public telescope
When a full or new moon The full eclipse of the moon viewing, although magnify-
makes its closest approach will last more than an hour ing devices won’t be nec-
to Earth, that’s a super- and be visible, weather essary; the eclipse will be
moon. Although still about permitting, from North and easily visible with the naked
220,000 miles away, this South America, Europe, eye. Astronomers are urg-
full moon will look bigger Africa and western Asia. ing stargazers to simply look
and brighter than usual. In Showtime on the U.S. East to the east.
fact, it will be the closest full Coast is 10:11 p.m. EDT In Los Angeles, Griffith Ob-
moon of the year, about (0211 GMT); that’s when servatory also will serve up
30,000 miles closer than the moon, Earth and sun Beethoven’s “Moonlight
the average distance. (The will be lined up, with Earth’s Sonata” on the piano and
moon’s orbit is far from a shadow totally obscuring other moon-themed music.
perfect circle.) the moon. NASA will provide a live
NASA planetary scientist In Europe, the action will video feed of the entire
Noah Petro is hoping the unfold before dawn Mon- eclipse — an option in case
celestial event will ignite day. No matter where, the clouds obscure your own
more interest in the moon. preshow will begin two view.q
Highly endangered Sumatran
rhino pregnant with 2nd calf
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) and the babies weigh up to breeding facility in more In this June 25, 2012 file photo, female Sumatran rhino named
— A Sumatran rhinoceros is 27 kilograms (60 pounds). than 140 years. Ratu, right, is seen with her newly-born calf at Way Kambas Na-
pregnant with her second Ultrasound images indicate The father of both calves tional Park in Lampung, Indonesia.
calf at an Indonesian sanc- Ratu’s pregnancy is pro- is Andalas, who was born
tuary in the original habitat gressing normally. at the Cincinnati Zoo, later Associated Press
of the highly endangered “This proves capabilities sent to the Los Angeles Zoo,
species, a government of our own experts at Way and then moved to Indo- at the Sumatra Rhone Rhino Day was Tuesday.
conservation official said Kambas,” Dahono said. nesia in 2007 for mating. Sanctuary coinciding with She added that “the preg-
Wednesday. “Malaysia’s announce- Andalas’ brother, Harapan, the celebration of World nancy represents decades
Bambang Dahono Adji, di- ment of the extinction lives at the Cincinnati Zoo, Rhino Day,” Environment of international collabo-
rector of biodiversity con- of Sumatran rhino there is the only Sumatran rhino Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar ration to save this endan-
servation at Indonesia’s made Indonesia’s efforts to abroad and expected to said in a statement. World gered species.”q
Ministry of Environment and save the rhino very impor- be moved to Indonesia in
Forestry, said the mother, tant now.” October.
Ratu, is expected to give Now 12 years old, Ratu was Their sister Suci was be-
birth next May at the Way born in the wild and wan- lieved to have died there
Kambas National Park in dered out of the rainfor- because her diet at the
southern Sumatra, to join est in 2005. Her first calf, a zoo contained too much
five other rhinos there. male named Andatu born iron.
Sumatran rhino pregnan- in 2012, was the first Suma- “We are proudly announc-
cies last about 16 months tran rhino born in an Asian ing the pregnancy of Ratu
