Total Eclipse of the Server: NASA's Live Stream of Super Blood Moon Fails

© REUTERS / Kacper PempelA man takes picture of the screen displaying the moon, appearing in a dim red colour, which is covered by the Earth's shadow during a total lunar eclipse in Warsaw, Poland September 28, 2015
A man takes picture of the screen displaying the moon, appearing in a dim red colour, which is covered by the Earth's shadow during a total lunar eclipse in Warsaw, Poland September 28, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Several live internet transmissions of the hotly-anticipated 'super blood moon', a rare astronomical event, ran into difficulties on Sunday, most notably the live broadcast from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Internet users hoping to tune into rolling coverage from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) of the rare super blood moon astronomical phenomenon were left disappointed on Monday, when the agency's servers failed to broadcast it due to a technical problem.

© nowwow.infoThe NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed
The NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed - Sputnik International
The NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed
NASA can take heart that theirs was not the only failed attempt at a live broadcast of the super blood moon. 

© nowwow.infoThe NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed
The NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed - Sputnik International
The NASA super blood moon live stream left viewers disappointed
A transmission from Sky and Telescope, an online astronomy magazine, came to a stop, while the livestream from Slooh.com also ran into difficulties.

Astronomy fans were able to compensate for the live stream shortfall by exchanging photographs of the super blood moon taken from all over the world.

Super blood moons are rare, occurring when a total lunar eclipse coincides with a supermoon, the term for a new or full moon that closely coincides with its perigee, the closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. 

The resulting 'blood moon' appears larger, as it is closer to the Earth, and redder, because it is lit by light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. 

The phenomenon has happened only five times since 1900, and was last observed in 1982; it will not return until 2033. 

NASA will be hoping that its next attempt at a live broadcast will go rather more smoothly; on Thursday the space agency called a major press conference at 11:30 am EDT, in order to announce a "Mars mystery solved," according to its press release

The announcement is set to be broadcast live on NASA TV, amid fevered speculation about what the Martian discovery might be.

A collection of photographs taken of the 'super blood moon' from across the world.

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Red supermoon seen beyond the Moscow City Business Center, Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2015
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