Three celestial events will light up the night sky Tuesday

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Stargazers around the world will experience three celestial events on Sept., 17.

Tuesday’s spectacle will inch closer to Earth than usual, making it a supermoon. The event will also coincide with a blood moon and a partial lunar eclipse. That’s when the earth passes between the sun and moon, casting a shadow that darkens the silver of the moon.

Harvest moons occur toward the start of fall and supermoons three to four times per year. All three events taking place at once is pretty rare, according to astrophysicist Teresa Monsue of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The full moon will be visible at 7:35 p.m., with the eclipse peaking at 7:44 p.m., according to NASA.

If you miss Tuesday’s eclipse and supermoon, you’ll have to wait until Oct. 8, 2033, to catch the next one.

However, the next supermoon is happening on Oct. 17, and a total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025.

No special eye protection is needed to view a lunar eclipse.

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