2-for-1: Total lunar eclipse comes with supermoon bonus

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The only total lunar eclipse this year and next came with a supermoon bonus.

On Sunday night, the moon, Earth and sun lined up to create the eclipse, which was visible throughout North and South America, where skies were clear. There won’t be another until the year 2021.

It was also the year’s first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position.

**Lunar eclipse** The lunar eclipse on Jan. 20, 2019 as captured in Clarksburg, Maryland by photographer Dennis Kan. (Courtesy Dennis Kan)

The moon is seen in its waxing gibbous stage as it rises behind the Empire State Building, left, with the Lackawanna rail and ferry station tower seen at right, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, from Jersey City, N.J. The moon will experience a lunar eclipse, when the earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, and will be seen across the United States late Sunday night. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

People watch the supermoon rise behind the downtown Los Angeles skyline, from Kenneth Hahn Park in Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. The year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth, is one of two lunar events Sunday. If skies are clear, a total eclipse will also be visible in North and South America, and parts of Europe. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

A lunar eclipse progresses behind the "Monumento a la Carta Magna y Las Cuatro Regiones Argentinas" in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

This combination photo shows the moon at the four different moments during a total lunar eclipse in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

The moon is framed in a statue on the state Capitol during a total lunar eclipse Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. The entire eclipse will exceed three hours. Totality-when the moon's completely bathed in the Earth's shadow-will last an hour. Expect the eclipsed or blood moon, to turn red from the sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

In this photo made with a 12-1/2 inch telescope and provided by Johnny Horne, the totally eclipsed moon glows with a reddish color against the background stars over Stedman, N.C., Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. That's why an eclipsed moon is sometimes known as a blood moon. In January, the full moon is also sometimes known as the wolf moon or great spirit moon. (Johnny Horne via AP)

A lunar eclipse progresses behind a Russian national flag in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. The moon experiences an eclipse when the earth moves directly between the sun and the moon. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

The full moon is seen during a lunar eclipse in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

This combination photo shows the totally eclipsed moon, center, and others at the different stages during a total lunar eclipse, as seen from Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. That's why an eclipsed moon is sometimes known as a blood moon. In January, the full moon is also sometimes known as the wolf moon or great spirit moon. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

A blood moon rises above Christ the Redeemer statue during a lunar eclipse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A woman stands watching the full moon, at the City Life neighborhood, early Monday Jan. 21 2019, in Milan, Italy. Sunday night, the Earth slid directly between the moon and the sun, creating a total lunar eclipse. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

A full moon rises over a tree early Monday Jan. 21 2019, in Milan, Italy. Sunday night, the Earth slid directly between the moon and the sun, creating a total lunar eclipse. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

The moon fully shadowed by the Earth is seen above the castle of Salgo during a total lunar eclipse near Salgotarjan, 109 kms northeast of Budapest, Hungary, early Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

The Earth casts its shadow across the full moon ahead of a total eclipse of the moon seen above Brighton, south east England, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The Earth's shadow falls totally across full moon seen above Brighton, south east England, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The moon begins to emerge from its totality as sunlight hits the moon as it moves out of the Earth's shadow, seen above Brighton, south east England, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

An aircraft passes the full moon as the lunar eclipse begins in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The moon fully shadowed by the Earth is seen next to a steeple during a total lunar eclipse in Salgotarjan, 109 kms northeast of Budapest, Hungary, early Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

The full moon is seen during a lunar eclipse in Marseille, southern France, early Monday Jan. 21 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth.(AP Photo/Claude Paris)

The full moon rises above a building during a lunar eclipse in Marseille, southern France, early Monday Jan. 21 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

The full moon is seen after a lunar eclipse in Marseille, southern France, early Monday Jan. 21 2019. It's also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position to Earth. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

WTOP listener Dennis Kan of Maryland submitted this image showing the moon's sequence overnight. (Courtesy Dennis Kan)

WTOP listener William Workinger sent in this photo he took in Virginia. (Courtesy William Workinger)

(1/27)

Share This Gallery:

The entire eclipse took more than three hours. Totality — when the moon’s completely bathed in Earth’s shadow — lasted an hour. During a total lunar eclipse, the eclipsed, or blood, moon turns red from sunlight scattering off Earth’s atmosphere.

In addition to the Americas, the entire lunar extravaganza could be observed, weather permitting, all the way across the Atlantic to parts of Europe.