A photo of the first total lunar eclipse of 2014 taken from Arizona. 
 
 Credit: Ron Delvaux via The Virtual Telescope Project View full size image 
 
 Observers of Wednesday morning's total lunar eclipse might be able to catch sight of an extremely rare cosmic sight. 
 
 On Oct. 8, Interested skywatchers should attempt to see the total eclipse of the moon and the rising sun simultaneously. The little-used name for this effect is called a "selenelion," a phenomenon that celestial geometry says cannot happen. 
 
 And indeed, during a lunar eclipse, the sun and moon are exactly 180 degrees apart in the sky. In a perfect alignment like this (called a "syzygy"), such an observation would seem impossible. But thanks to Earth's atmosphere, the images of both the sun and moon are apparently lifted above the horizon by atmospheric refraction. This allows people on Earth to see the sun for several extra minutes before it actually has risen and the moon for several extra minutes after it has actually set. [How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse (Visibility Maps)] 
 
 As a consequence of this atmospheric trick, for many localities east of the Mississippi River, watchers will have a chance to observe this unusual sight firsthand. Weather permitting, you could have a short window of roughly 2 to 9 minutes (depending on your location) with the possibility of simultaneously seeing the sun rising in the east while the eclipsed full moon is setting in the west. 
 
 Regions of visibility 
 
 From Newfoundland, the start of the partial stages of the total eclipse begins about 30 to 45 minutes before moonset. 
 
 A growing scallop of darkness will appear on the upper left part of the moon when it sets as the sun is coming up. Across eastern Nova Scotia, only the lowermost portion of the moon will be in view as it drops below the western horizon. Farther to the west and south along the Atlantic seaboard, the moon will rise completely immersed in the Earth's shadow. 
 
 The map shows the visibility regions for the Oct. 8, 2014 total lunar eclipse, which is the second of four consecutive total eclipses of the moon between 2014 and 2015. Sky & Telescope Magazine released this viewing map. 
 
 Credit: Sky & Telescope Magazine View full size image The map shows the visibility regions for the Oct. 8, 2014 total lunar eclipse, which is the second of four consecutive total eclipses of the moon between 2014 and 2015. Sky & Telescope Magazine released this viewing map. 
 
 Now you see it … now you don't? 
 
 Then again, sighting a selenelion might be problematic feat. Twenty-five years ago, in the August 1989 issue of Sky & Telescope, Bradley Schaefer, an astronomer who extensively studied the visibility of the moon when it was low in the sky, noted that the full moon only becomes visible when it is about 2 degrees up and the sun is about 2 degrees below the horizon. 
 
 So, depending on the clarity of your sky, you might have up to roughly 10 to 15 minutes before sunrise for the sky to still be dark enough, and the moon to be high enough above any horizon haze for it to be clearly visible. And keep in mind that this holds only for the uneclipsed portion of the moon. You might, however, be able to mitigate the effects of a brightening sky somewhat by using binoculars or a telescope. 
 
 If the moon is totally eclipsed prior to sunrise, you probably are going to have to scan the western horizon with binoculars as the twilight brightens in order to still detect some semblance of the Moon, which will somewhat resemble a very dim and eerily illuminated mottled softball. 
 
 This chart shows the times of the end-stages of a total lunar eclipse taking place on Oct. 8, 2014. 
 
 Credit: Space.com/Joe Rao View full size image This chart shows the times of the end-stages of a total lunar eclipse taking place on Oct. 8, 2014. 
 
 A peculiar moonset 
 
 People who live in those portions of the United States and Canada that are a few hundred miles inland from the Eastern Seaboard should have a good view of the Moon's emergence from the umbra somewhat later. The low, partially eclipsed Moon in deep-blue twilight should offer a wide variety of interesting scenic possibilities for both artists and astrophotographers. From Toronto and points south through the eastern Ohio Valley and into the Piedmont to the Florida Gulf Coast, a peculiar-looking, waxing crescent moon with its cusps pointing downward will appear to set beyond the western horizon. 
 
 Farther west, across the western Great Lakes and down through the Deep South to the Gulf of Mexico, the moon will appear to be notched on its lower right side by the shadow. 
 
 Going still farther west, the Moon will go down "full," but if the western horizon is haze-free, assiduous observers from much of Minnesota, western Iowa, eastern portions of Nebraska and Kansas as well as central sections of Oklahoma and Texas might still be able to detect a faint penumbral stain on the moon's lower right limb. 
 
 Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing picture of the Oct. 8 total lunar eclipse, you can send photos, comments and your name and location to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com. 
 
 Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. ||||| Editor's Update for Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. ET: The total lunar eclipse is over, but you can see some amazing images of the celestial site here: 'Blood Moon' Photos: Total Lunar Eclipse Thrills Skywatchers.You can also read ourcomplete eclipse coverage here. For photography tips, read: Capturing the Blood Moon: Views from a Lunar Eclipse Photographer (Op-Ed). 
 
 Observers of Wednesday morning's total lunar eclipse might be able to catch sight of an extremely rare cosmic sight. 
 
 On Oct. 8, Interested skywatchers should attempt to see the total eclipse of the moon and the rising sun simultaneously. The little-used name for this effect is called a "selenelion," a phenomenon that celestial geometry says cannot happen. 
 
 And indeed, during a lunar eclipse, the sun and moon are exactly 180 degrees apart in the sky. In a perfect alignment like this (called a "syzygy"), such an observation would seem impossible. But thanks to Earth's atmosphere, the images of both the sun and moon are apparently lifted above the horizon by atmospheric refraction. This allows people on Earth to see the sun for several extra minutes before it actually has risen and the moon for several extra minutes after it has actually set. [How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse (Visibility Maps)] 
 
 As a consequence of this atmospheric trick, for many localities east of the Mississippi River, watchers will have a chance to observe this unusual sight firsthand. Weather permitting, you could have a short window of roughly 2 to 9 minutes (depending on your location) with the possibility of simultaneously seeing the sun rising in the east while the eclipsed full moon is setting in the west. 
 
 From Newfoundland, the start of the partial stages of the total eclipse begins about 30 to 45 minutes before moonset. 
 
 A growing scallop of darkness will appear on the upper left part of the moon when it sets as the sun is coming up. Across eastern Nova Scotia, only the lowermost portion of the moon will be in view as it drops below the western horizon. Farther to the west and south along the Atlantic seaboard, the moon will rise completely immersed in the Earth's shadow. 
 
 The map shows the visibility regions for the Oct. 8, 2014 total lunar eclipse, which is the second of four consecutive total eclipses of the moon between 2014 and 2015. Sky & Telescope Magazine released this viewing map. Credit: Sky & Telescope Magazine 
 
 Then again, sighting a selenelion might be problematic feat. Twenty-five years ago, in the August 1989 issue of Sky & Telescope, Bradley Schaefer, an astronomer who extensively studied the visibility of the moon when it was low in the sky, noted that the full moon only becomes visible when it is about 2 degrees up and the sun is about 2 degrees below the horizon. 
 
 So, depending on the clarity of your sky, you might have up to roughly 10 to 15 minutes before sunrise for the sky to still be dark enough, and the moon to be high enough above any horizon haze for it to be clearly visible. And keep in mind that this holds only for the uneclipsed portion of the moon. You might, however, be able to mitigate the effects of a brightening sky somewhat by using binoculars or a telescope. 
 
 If the moon is totally eclipsed prior to sunrise, you probably are going to have to scan the western horizon with binoculars as the twilight brightens in order to still detect some semblance of the Moon, which will somewhat resemble a very dim and eerily illuminated mottled softball. 
 
 This chart shows the times of the end-stages of a total lunar eclipse taking place on Oct. 8, 2014. Credit: Space.com/Joe Rao 
 
 People who live in those portions of the United States and Canada that are a few hundred miles inland from the Eastern Seaboard should have a good view of the Moon's emergence from the umbra somewhat later. The low, partially eclipsed Moon in deep-blue twilight should offer a wide variety of interesting scenic possibilities for both artists and astrophotographers. From Toronto and points south through the eastern Ohio Valley and into the Piedmont to the Florida Gulf Coast, a peculiar-looking, waxing crescent moon with its cusps pointing downward will appear to set beyond the western horizon. 
 
 Farther west, across the western Great Lakes and down through the Deep South to the Gulf of Mexico, the moon will appear to be notched on its lower right side by the shadow. 
 
 Going still farther west, the Moon will go down "full," but if the western horizon is haze-free, assiduous observers from much of Minnesota, western Iowa, eastern portions of Nebraska and Kansas as well as central sections of Oklahoma and Texas might still be able to detect a faint penumbral stain on the moon's lower right limb. 
 
 Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing picture of the Oct. 8 total lunar eclipse, you can send photos, comments and your name and location to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com. 
 
 Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. ||||| This Wednesday a spectacular astronomical sight will befall the night sky: a total lunar eclipse that coincides with the rising or setting of the sun. 
 
 This rare occurrence is called a selenelion and will, unfortunately for us Britons, give the moon a dazzling red sheen for those only on the east coast of the Americas, Australia or the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 In North America, it will happen on the morning of 8 October, whereas in Australia it will occur in the evening. 
 
 Dr Darren Baskill, Astronomer at the University of Sussex, told The Independent: “A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon goes into the shadow of the earth. 
 
 “It usually happens a couple of times a year and depending on the atmospheric conditions of the earth the moon can appear in different shades of red.” 
 
 We're able to see the eclipsed moon and the sun at the same time thanks to the Earth's atmospheric refraction causing their images to be lifted higher than they actually are. 
 
 In pictures: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24 show all In pictures: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1/24 'Aurora over a Glacier Lagoon' by James Woodend (UK) - Earth & Space category- Overall Winner 
 
 2/24 'Wind Farm Star Trails' by Matt James (Australia) - Earth & Space category- Runner Up 
 
 3/24 'Venus-Lunar Occultation' by O Chul Kwon (South Korea) - Earth & Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 4/24 'Moon Balloon' by Partrick Cullis (USA) - Earth & Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 5/24 'Totality From Above the Clouds' by Catalin Beldea (Romania) - Earth & Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 6/24 'Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2' by Eugen Kamenew (Germany) - People & Space category - Winner 
 
 7/24 'Lost Souls' by Julie Fletcher (Australia) - People & Space category - Runner Up 
 
 8/24 'Ripples in a Pond' by Alexandra Hart (UK) - Our Solar System category - Winner 
 
 9/24 'Best of the Craters' by George Tarsoudis (Greece) - Our Solar System category - Runner Up 
 
 10/24 'Calcium K Eruption' by Stephen Ramsden (USA) - Our Solar System category - Highly Commended 
 
 11/24 'Diamond and Rubies' by Tunç Tezel (Turkey) - Our Solar System category - Highly Commended 
 
 12/24 'Solar Nexus' by Alexandra Hart (UK) - Our Solar System category - Highly Commended 
 
 13/24 'The Horsehead Nebula (IC 434)' by Shishir & Shashank Dholakia (USA) aged 15 - Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (under-16s) category - Winner 
 
 14/24 'New Year over Cypress Mountain' by Emmett Sparling (Canada) aged 15 - Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (under-16s) category - Runner Up 
 
 15/24 'Moon behind the Trees' by Emily Jeremy (UK) aged 12 - Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (under-16s) category - Highly Commended 
 
 16/24 'The Martian Territory' by Olivia Williamson (UK) aged 10 - Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (under-16s) category - Highly Commended 
 
 17/24 'The Heart Nebula (IC 1805)' by Shishir & Shashank Dholakia (USA) aged 15 - Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (under-16s) category - Highly Commended 
 
 18/24 'NGC 3718' by Mark Hanson (USA) - Robotic Scope category - Winner 
 
 19/24 'The Horsehead Nebula (IC 434)' by Bill Snyder (USA) - Deep Space category - Winner 
 
 20/24 'The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)' by David Fitz-Henry (Australia) - Deep Space category - Runner Up 
 
 21/24 'At the feet of Orion (NGC 1999) - Full Field' by Marco Lorenzi (China) - Deep Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 22/24 'California vs Pleiades' by Rogelio Bernal Andreo (USA) - Deep Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 23/24 'Veil Nebula Detail (IC 1340)' by J.P. Metsävainio (Finland) - Deep Space category - Highly Commended 
 
 24/24 'Coastal Stairways' by Chris Murphy (New Zealand) - Special Prizes: The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer category - Winner 
 
 Mr Baskill added: “When the moon sets over the east coast of America, in places like New York, the moon will be in mid-eclipse and the sun will be rising, so there will be some dramatic photographs of a mid-eclipse red moon. 
 
 “North Carolina, Delaware, and Philadelphia should get some great views of the moon setting and the sun rising. It’s definitely worth getting up a bit earlier to catch a dramatic setting of the moon.” 
 
 In the United Kingdom, the sun will be heading towards its highest point in the sky due south and it will be about 10.30am when this is taking place – so eager astronomers here will miss it completely. 
 
 According to Space.com, a selenelion is a phenomenon that under the rules of celestial geometry is a technical impossibility. 
 
 The Utah People’s Post says that those on the Eastern Seaboard will be able to see a red moon at roughly 5.25am.
– Early risers east of the Mississippi tomorrow might be able to see something that should be impossible under the rules of celestial geometry: a rare "selenelion" eclipse in which a total eclipse of the moon can be seen at the same time as the rising sun, Space.com reports. The sun and moon will be exactly 180 degrees apart in the sky during the lunar eclipse, but they will both be briefly visible at the same time because of a trick of the light in which refraction lifts their images above the horizon, reports LiveScience, which has some tips for viewing the eclipse during a two- to nine-minute early morning window. But while only those with a good view of both the eastern and western horizons will be able to witness the selenelion, the second "blood moon" of the year will have a reddish sheen visible to many. "When the moon sets over the east coast of America, in places like New York, the moon will be in mid-eclipse and the sun will be rising, so there will be some dramatic photographs of a mid-eclipse red moon," an astronomer tells the Independent. "North Carolina, Delaware, and Philadelphia should get some great views of the moon setting and the sun rising. It's definitely worth getting up a bit earlier to catch a dramatic setting of the moon." (Into outer space? Check out one professor's proof that black holes can't exist.)