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What time is the partial lunar eclipse on September 17, 2024? When to watch
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What time is the partial lunar eclipse on September 17, 2024? When to watch


This week there will be a partial lunar eclipse, coinciding with the Harvest Moon, which is also an exceptionally bright and large supermoon.

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Full moons occur with some regularity, but the September full moon is not to be missed.

When the Harvest Moon rises over the horizon this week, viewers will be treated to not only an exceptionally large and bright supermoon, but also—on Tuesday only—a partial lunar eclipse. As the moon rises near sunset in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be partially obscured by Earth’s shadow as our planet passes between our natural satellite and the sun.

Here’s when and where you can see the lunar eclipse.

What is a partial lunar eclipse? What you need to know about the spectacular view over the US

What time is the partial lunar eclipse?

According to NASA, the moon will enter Earth’s partial shadow at 8:41 PM EDT, but it’s the peak of the eclipse that viewers will want to see. While the moon will dim slightly around 10:13 PM, the peak itself will occur at 10:44 PM.

At that point, a dark shadow will appear on the top of the moon, gradually covering about 8 percent of it before retreating. The moon will emerge from full shadow at 11:16 p.m. and from partial shadow early Wednesday morning at 12:47 a.m., NASA said.

Timeanddate.com provides a detailed eclipse schedule for every location on the planet.

Where will the partial lunar eclipse be visible?

The visually striking celestial phenomenon only occurs during a full moon. But while lunar eclipses are relatively rare, when they do occur, they are visible to an entire half of the Earth. For this eclipse, the Northern Hemisphere will be treated to the view, including all of North America (except Alaska). For those in the United States, that means all of the lower 48 states should have a view.

The eclipse will also be visible in South America, Greenland, Europe, Africa and most of the Middle East.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon.

In a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, which can turn the lunar surface a noticeable red for a few hours, according to NASA. This week, those three celestial bodies won’t be perfectly aligned, creating a partial lunar eclipse because Earth’s shadow will cast a shadow over the moon’s surface but not completely cover it.

To make this celestial event even more spectacular, this week’s moon is a supermoon, a full moon that coincides with the point at which the satellite comes closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit.

Contributors: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]