Moon lovers are in for a treat this week as a full supermoon is about to coincide with a partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday night.
The upcoming supermoon that will be partially eclipsed is known as the harvest moon. According to NASA, “The first known written use of this name in the English language (per the Oxford English Dictionary) was in 1706. During the fall harvest season farmers sometimes need to work late into the night by moonlight. On average moonrise is about 50 minutes later each night. Around the Harvest Moon this time is shorter, about 25 minutes for the latitude of Washington, DC, and only 10 to 20 minutes farther north in Canada and Europe.”
The partial lunar eclipse will begin at 8:41 p.m. ET, peaking at 10:44 p.m. ET, when 8% of the moon will be covered. The event will conclude early Wednesday morning, giving skywatchers a rare chance to witness this dazzling alignment.
A supermoon occurs when the full moon aligns with its closest orbit around Earth, making it appear slightly larger and up to 30% brighter. While the size difference is subtle, the increased brightness is more noticeable. The full moon will reach its peak brightness at 10:35 p.m. ET, just minutes before the eclipse reaches its maximum.
After the eclipse peaks, the moon will slowly exit Earth’s shadow, with the event wrapping up by 12:47 a.m. ET. This stunning display will be visible to anyone with a clear view of the night sky.
