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Partial lunar eclipse occurs during Harvest supermoon: See the stunning photos
By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY,
6 hours ago
A spectacular lunar event dazzled skygazers Tuesday night across the United States and the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Amid this week's full Harvest Moon , which also just so happens to be an exceptionally large and bright supermoon, another phenomenon occurred: a partial lunar eclipse.
On Tuesday evening, the orange-hued Harvest supermoon rose in the sky at a time when Earth's only natural satellite is unusually close to our planet on its elliptical orbit. Then, hours later, the moon was partly covered by Earth's shadow as our planet moved between it and the sun.
See photos of Harvest supermoon, partial lunar eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse is seen early Wednesday with a star atop of the tower of the Kremlin and Russia's Foreign Ministry headquarters building in the foreground, in Moscow, Russia. Lunar eclipses always occur at the full moon phase when Earth is positioned between the moon and the sun. Marina Lystseva/ReutersA partial lunar eclipse is seen over a residential building in Moscow early Wednesday morning. As the moon rose Tuesday near sunset across the Northern Hemisphere, it was partly covered by Earth's shadow as our planet passed between our natural satellite and the sun. Maxim Shemetov/ReutersThe Harvest Moon rises over the Kremlin and Russia's Foreign Ministry headquarters building. Because it rises near sunset and reaches peak fullness earlier, the Harvest Moon not only provides more working hours to farmers, but can provide quite a sight to skygazers across the hemisphere. Marina Lystseva/ReutersA full Harvest Moon rises above East El Paso, Texas Tuesday night as a helicopter's silhouette is seen in front of it. The Harvest Moon appeared Monday and will last for three nights, ending in the early pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning. Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times/USA TODAY NETWORKA Harvest Moon rises Tuesday over a lighthouse in Scituate, Massachusetts. This year, the full moon is also a supermoon, which occurs when a full moon coincides with the satellite's closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit. Lauren Owens Lambert/ReutersThis photograph shows a full moon (also called "The Harvest Moon"), one of four supermoons of the year and during a partial lunar eclipse, rising over Istanbul early Wednesday morning. Because lunar eclipses are visible to half of the Earth, Tuesday night's event could be seen across the Northern Hemisphere. Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty ImagesPeeking through the clouds just before 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, the Harvest supermoon emerged through the clouds over the Atlantic Ocean in Florida. The eclipse was expected to peak around 10:44 p.m. EDT. Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today/USA TODAY NETWORKA harvest moon rises Tuesday in San Diego, California. Many skygazers regard the Harvest Moon as appearing bigger, brighter and more orange than a typical moon. Mike Blake/ReutersA spider is pictured in front of the full moon, this one also called The Harvest Moon, and one of 4 supermoons this year, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on September 17, 2024. Supermoons happen when the moon is closest to earth, and appear bigger than usual. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty ImagesA man crosses a bridge Tuesday past the full Harvest Moon, in Frankfurt in western Germany. The Harvest Moon's proximity to the horizon – at least from a skygazer's vantage – is what lends it an orange hue as spectators must peer through a thicker portion of Earth's atmosphere than when gazing overhead. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty ImagesA worker walks across a pedestrian bridge Tuesday at the end of his shift on the day of the partial lunar eclipse in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. All of North and South America had a view of the event, including Mexico, the United States and Canada. Daniel Becerril/ReutersA Harvest Supermoon partial lunar eclipse is pictured in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 17, 2024. The Harvest Moon is so named because the extra light it provides by rising during sunset has traditionally provided farmers with more time to pick (or harvest) their crops. Mario Anzuoni/ReutersA surfer rides early Wednesday morning a wave as a super moon rises behind at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
Still time to see the Harvest Moon
While the Harvest Moon reached peak illumination Tuesday alongside the eclipse, there is still time to see the full moon.
The Harvest Moon appeared Monday and will last for three nights, ending in the early pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac .
Unlike other moon names, the Harvest Moon is not associated with a specific month but, rather, occurs each year around the time of the autumnal equinox, according to the Almanac. This means that the Harvest Moon can occur in either September or October, depending on how the lunar cycle lines up with the Gregorian calendar.
This year's autumnal equinox is Sunday, Sept. 22, but the Harvest Moon is rising in the night skies already.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
How Breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!! I pray that President Vladimir Putin gives his heart to Jesus Christ THE King of Kings and Lord of Lords & that he and President Donald J. Trump worship God together at NATO televised before the whole world and that people Everywhere will get saved from their sins. John 3:16 ❤️🕊️🙏Jesus Loves You and So Do I 🙂
Dj Laguna
1h ago
me and my dad saw the lunar eclipse last night it was not full just a bit of it being covered from the top of the moon because my dad he said he had seen it 30 years ago
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