The longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years is coming tonight, on the same night the Patriots play the Falcons. The eclipse's duration: 3 hours, 28 minutes, according to NASA.
Those figures might strike a nerve in Atlanta circles, particularly as it relates to the 51st Super Bowl, when the Tom Brady-led Patriots rallied from a huge deficit — 28-3 — to beat the Falcons 34-28 in overtime, capping the most miraculous comeback in Super Bowl history.
A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. For East Coast observers, the partial eclipse begins a little after 2 a.m. Friday and reaches its maximum at 4 a.m. For observers on the West Coast, it begins just after 11 p.m. Thursday and reaches a maximum at 1 a.m. Friday.
For most of that game four years ago, the Falcons seemed poised to win Super Bowl 51 in blowout fashion. They scored their fourth touchdown midway through the third quarter, and the Patriots offense couldn't find rhythm. But then New England recovered in a resounding way. On the next series after the Falcons made it 28-3, Brady led the Patriots 75 yards in 13 plays for an answering touchdown. The defense didn't allow another point, the offense found its stride, and the Patriots captured their fifth Super Bowl victory.
All of which makes the partial lunar eclipse's overlap with Thursday's game such a coincidence. The longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years — lasting 3 hours, 28 minutes — will coincide with the Patriots matching up with the Falcons, teams that played in one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, beginning with a 28-3 deficit.
If nothing else, it's a remarkable concurrence of exceedingly rare events.
Photo: Barry Chin / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Will the Falcons ever be able to outrun 28-3?
Jeff Howe, NFL national insider: Well, you can't outrun the moon, right? It's the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and the Patriots are the greatest dynasty of the Super Bowl era. So these highlights aren't going to disappear anytime soon.
Plus, Patriots fans continue to celebrate the score with every opportunity, and Saints fans surely won't ever let the Falcons live it down. I'll lean toward "no" on this one.