TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2015 – The last total lunar eclipse visible from southern Ontario until 2019 will make an appearance Sunday, Sept. 27, starting at 9:07pm.

The reflected light from the full Moon will decrease steadily from 9:07pm until 10:11pm when it will be completely immersed in the shadow cast by the Earth, making the Moon appear a dark, reddish orange.

This is the fourth consecutive total lunar eclipse for GTA residents. In total, it will last about an hour and 12 minutes, with the umbral phase of the eclipse concluding at 12:27am Monday, Sept. 28.

The eclipse falls just four days after the Moon moves within 356, 877 km of Earth, its closest this year, qualifying it as a Super Moon. A Super Moon is slightly brighter than the usual full Moon.

The following experts are available:

• Paul Delaney, York U senior lecturer
• Jesse Rogerson, York U physics and astronomy PhD candidate

York U’s media studio is available for double-ended broadcast interviews.

The York University Astronomical Observatory and the Astronomy Club at York will host Luna Palooza, free and open to the public, and weather permitting, on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 8pm until midnight. The Observatory telescopes will explore the lunar surface during the eclipse, as well as other interesting celestial objects visible in September. In addition, multiple portable telescopes and binoculars will be setup on the grass surface adjacent to the York Lions Stadium, formerly the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium.

More information about Luna Palooza can be found on the York University Observatory Facebook page.

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Media contact:
Sandra McLean, Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097 / sandramc@yorku.ca