Supermoon, lunar eclipse Sunday, but…

The rare combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse will occur on Sunday but it will not be visible in the Philippines, government astronomers said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the eclipse will be seen in in other parts of the world while it is daytime in the Philippines.

While Filipinos will miss the rare event, an almost supermoon will be seen in the Philippines on Monday night.

By then the moon will have just passed perigee, or the point in its orbit closest to the Earth, which makes the moon appear larger than usual thus the name supermoon.

Pagasa said on Monday evening, the full moon will still appear larger than usual.

On Sunday, the super moon will be masked by a total lunar eclipse for over an hour, a combination that will occur for the first time after more than 30 years. Dona Z. Pazzibugan

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