Featured Map for 8 October 2014:
Lunar Eclipse and Selenelion

This month's full moon occurs at about 10:50 UTC (GMT) on 8 October. Some will see a lunar eclipse, which has recently come to be known as a blood moon due to its reddish color, the illumination of all of Earth's sunrise and sunsets.

Fewer people will observe a selenelion, a seemingly impossible circumstance in which an eclipsed moon sets while the sun is already rising. That shouldn't happen during a syzygy (which is required for a lunar eclipse; it's also a great Scrabble word) but does happen due to the refraction of Earth's atmosphere. This may be visible in the northeastern United States, parts of Canada's maritime provinces, and in the western parts of South America.

Today's Featured Map shows the Apollo landing sites on the blood moon. See the References section below for more information about this special full moon.

References and additional information:

• Phases of the Moon for October 2014
• Rare 'Selenelion' Possible on Wednesday's Lunar Eclipse
• Total Lunar Eclipse of Oct. 8, 2014: Sky Maps and Guides