Media Invited to Talk to NASA Experts About Supermoon, Total Lunar Eclipse

Members of the news media are invited to RSVP for interviews with NASA lunar research experts about the upcoming rare supermoon lunar eclipse. This spectacle will be visible in the skies over the western United States in the early morning of Wednesday, January 31.

NASA’s Ames Research Center (https://www.nasa.gov/ames) in Silicon Valley will offer the following experts for interviews about lunar science and demonstrations of exploring the lunar surface:

* Rick Elphic is a planetary scientist with interest in the delivery of water and other volatiles to terrestrial planets. He was the project scientist for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), an Ames-led spacecraft that orbited the Moon in 2013 and 2014. Elphic can talk about what we can learn about the Moon and his current work in leading the development of tool for a future mission to the lunar surface.

* Brian Day is the lead for citizen science and community development for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), where he coordinates programs that provide opportunities for the public to directly participate in NASA science and exploration. Day can demonstrate Moon Trek, a NASA web-based application with 3-D visualizations of lunar imagery, allowing users to virtually fly over the Moon’s surface.

For the first time since 1866, a blue supermoon will coincide with a lunar eclipse. The Jan. 31 full Moon is special for several reasons: it’s the third in a series of “supermoons,” when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and about 14 percent brighter than usual. It’s also the second full Moon of the month, commonly known as a “blue Moon.” The super blue Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. In addition, while the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a “blood Moon.”

Members of the news media who would like to attend this availability at Ames must contact Kimberly Minafra at +1 650-604-2457, or by email at kimberly.minafra@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. PST Tuesday, Jan. 30. Arrival time and agendas will be worked with each media organization’s preferences and schedule.

Contact:
Kimberly Minafra
Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, Calif.
+1 650-604-2457
kimberly.minafra@nasa.gov