AST Weather Blog: How to see an extra special Harvest Moon this year

The night sky will be lit up by an extra special Harvest Moon this year. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the start of Fall. This year, the Autumnal Equinox is Sunday morning, September 22. The name also coincides with harvest time.

What makes this Harvest Moon particularly special is there will be a partial lunar eclipse, and it is a supermoon.

A partial lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow. This is usually zero to three times a year, according to NOAA. In order for a lunar eclipse to occur, there must be a full moon. During a partial eclipse, it looks like the moon has a little bite taken out of it for a small period of time, typically one hour. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon looks orange or red. This is why a total lunar eclipse is often called a “blood moon”.

A supermoon means the moon will look ever so slightly larger and brighter. This is because it is closer to Earth in orbit.

What will be more noticeable than the supermoon or partial eclipse however, is the moonrise time. In Little Rock, moonrise is 7:10pm Tuesday, September 17. Look east low on the horizon Tuesday evening, and you should be able to see a stunning Harvest Moon.

Conditions will be clear and comfortable with little to no cloud cover at all. The partial eclipse will begin at 7:41pm cdt, according to NASA, and last a little over an hour.

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