Super Harvest Moon and Partial Lunar Eclipse Create Rare Celestial Event

On September 16, a Super Harvest Moon accompanied by a partial lunar eclipse is set to illuminate the night skies on Tuesday, marking a rare celestial event as summer winds down.

The partial eclipse is expected to begin late Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday morning. This eclipse will coincide with the Supermoon, when the moon is slightly closer to Earth, making it more prominent in the sky. Those in most of North and South America, Europe, Africa, western Asia, and parts of Antarctica will have the opportunity to see this event.

A Supermoon is the year’s largest and brightest full moon, occurring when the moon reaches within 90% of its closest orbit to Earth. The term “harvest moon” is used for September’s full moon because it is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, signaling the official end of summer.

Lunar eclipses happen when the sun, Earth, and moon align with Earth’s shadow covering the moon, which can result in the moon appearing darkened or taking on a reddish hue. In this instance, the partial lunar eclipse will affect roughly 8.7% of the moon’s surface.

For those unable to view the eclipse due to geographical locations or adverse weather conditions, numerous online livestreams will be available to provide a real-time view. TimeAndDate.com will commence its livestream of the partial lunar eclipse at 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. Additionally, Adler Planetarium in Chicago will offer a lunar eclipse livestream at 10 p.m. EDT, featuring expert commentary from astronomers.

Nasa indicates that the full moon will reach its zenith in the United States at 10:35 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. Viewers can expect the moon to maintain its full appearance for approximately three days, lasting until Thursday morning.

The eclipse will start as the moon enters Earth’s shadow at 8:41 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, with the optimal viewing time occurring at 10:44 p.m. when only the top 8.7% of the moon will be enveloped in shadow. The partial eclipse is projected to conclude early Wednesday morning at 12:47 a.m.