Extremely Rare 'Selenelion' to Take Place During Total Lunar Eclipse: Watch Live Online

An extremely rare cosmic event where a total lunar eclipse coincides with the rising sun will take place later this week.

Known as a selenelion, skywatchers will see a 'horizontal eclipse', where both the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time just above the horizon on Wednesday, 8 October.

According to space.com, the selenelion is an event that technically should not be able to happen.

During a total lunar eclipse, the sun and moon are in alignment, meaning they should not be visible at the same time.

However, Earth's atmosphere means both the sun and the moon appear to be lifted above the horizon, allowing people to view the phenomenon for a few minutes as a result of atmospheric refraction.

The website said people should have between two and nine minutes to see the selenelion, as long as it is not cloudy.

Advising people how to watch the event, it said: "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."

The selenelion will be best viewed from parts of Australia and North America, but it will also be broadcast live from the Slooh telescope from 10am GMT on 8 October, with live feeds from multiple locations in Australia and North America.

"This eclipse will be difficult to view for most of the planet as it mainly takes place over the Pacific Ocean," it said.

"As such, the eclipse will only be visible in its entirety from parts of eastern Australia, New Zealand, eastern Asia, most of Japan, Hawaiian Islands, and the western part of North America. But fear not - Slooh will have strategic sites in these locations allowing the world to view the eclipse live on Slooh.com."