Tonight's Super Harvest Moon: A Stunning Celestial Spectacle

Photo byEarth.com

It’s called a super harvest moon. The moon will be full when it is unusually close to Earth in its elliptical orbit.

The supermoon will make a stately rise and appear large in Tuesday evening’s eastern sky. September’s full moon will be one to admire. A partial lunar eclipse will happen as the moon becomes full at 10:35 p.m. EST. Lunar eclipses only occur during the full-moon phase, creating a striking celestial phenomenon.

A harvest moon occurs as temperatures cool in the Northern Hemisphere and the nights grow longer. Since the moon rises near sunset, it will reach peak fullness when it appears larger and lower on the horizon.

Photo byLifestyle Asia

It’s called a super harvest moon because it will be full when it is closer to Earth on its elliptical orbit.

As long as clouds cooperate, the entire partial lunar eclipse can be viewed in most of North America, South America, Greenland, Europe, Africa and much of the Middle East. Alaska will not see the eclipse.

The partial lunar eclipse will start at 8:41 p.m. Eastern and peak at 10:44 p.m., when more than 8 per cent of the moon will be in full shadow according to NASA.

Photo bySecret Dallas

Dimming will be most easily seen on the top edge of the moon during the hour around the eclipse’s peak, as the moon enters the Earth’s full shadow. The eclipse peak comes about 10 minutes after the moon officially becomes full.

The partial shadow will exit the moon at 12:47 a.m. Eastern time.

The moon travels around the Earth in an elliptical orbit. Supermoons can occur when it is around perigee, its nearest point along the path. The closeness makes the moon look larger and brighter.

A Sturgeon MoonPhoto byLifestyle Asia

August’s sturgeon moon was also a supermoon. It was also labelled a blue moon because it was the third full moon of four in a season. A second full moon in a month is also known as a Blue Moon.

Perhaps one of the best-known annual moon names, the harvest moon is also called the corn moon and the barley moon, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.

It tends to coincide closely with the autumnal equinox, as summer’s crops are gathered before the cold season begins. As an early-rising moon, it offers additional light at the end of the workday, which helps with the race to harvest after the sun sets.

A Blue MoonPhoto byThe Weather Network

Full moons occur around every 29 days. In the rare month, there are two full moons. That won’t be the case here since this one is coming past the middle of September.

Next month’s full moon, the Hunter’s Moon, will peak at 7:26 a.m. on October 17th.

***

Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer and journalist based on the West Coast. His writing resonates with those passionate about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, agriculture, lifestyle, historical events, equestrian and rodeo, and millionaire travel.

Your comments are highly valued.

Copyright © 2024 Sawyer TMS. All rights reserved.

N.B. This article is for information purposes only unless otherwise noted.