How to see this week’s supermoon eclipse

Time dust off the telescopes and cameras, as this week will be a fun one for amateur astronomers.

This week, Tuesday’s full moon will happen at the same time as a partial lunar eclipse, creating a “supermoon” that will also be an eclipse.

The spectacle will be visible from North America, South America, Africa, and Europe, as part of the moon’s surface will be obscured by Earth’s shadow.

Similar to a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth plays the role of the middle man, passing between the moon and the sun. This creates a celestial alignment, as the Earth blocks sunlight from hitting the lunar surface.

However, Tuesday’s spectacle will not be a full lunar eclipse but instead only partial.

The moon on Tuesday will also be known as a “supermoon,” described by NASA as a new or full Moon that “is within 90% of its closest to Earth.” When the moon gets its closest to Earth at the same time as being a full moon, it appears slightly bigger and brighter, earning it its nickname.

At its peak closeness to Earth, the moon will come within 222,005 miles of the planet.

The moon is also known as the harvest moon, being that it is September’s full moon, the month often associated with harvest time in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to NASA, the lunar event will begin Tuesday at 8:41 p.m. EST, when the moon first starts to enter part of Earth’s shadow.

Good weather conditions will depend on how visible the event is, though if things are clear, NASA says it will reach peak visibility around 10:44 p.m. EST when roughly 8% of the moon’s surface will be in full shadow.

This will occur right after the moon becomes full at 10:35 p.m. EST. The moon will then exit the Earth’s shadow at around 12:47 a.m. EST on Wednesday, NASA shared .

If weather conditions stop you from seeing the partial lunar eclipse, don’t fret, as this fall will feature several lunar events.

There are two more supermoons expected to occur in October and November, when the moon comes within 222,095 miles of Earth in October and 224,385 miles in November, according to data from the space agency .

If you are looking for specific details on moonrise times for your ZIP code , visit the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s website here .