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    • Partial Lunar Eclipse and Supermoon Appear in US: How to See It
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    Partial Lunar Eclipse and Supermoon Appear in US: How to See It

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    This week’s partial lunar eclipse should be visible across the entire Northern Hemisphere, including North America, on Tuesday night.

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    Stargazers have all sorts of reasons to look at the moon this week.

    Not only is September’s full moon a so-called “supermoon” because of its size and brightness, but it will also be eclipsed by Earth as it rises in the late summer sky. And unlike April’s total solar eclipse that sparked a nationwide viewing frenzy, those living in North America won’t have to make last-minute travel arrangements to witness the celestial spectacle.

    Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming partial lunar eclipse and how to view it.

    What is a partial lunar eclipse?

    Lunar eclipses always occur during the full moon, when the Earth is between the moon and the sun.

    When those three bodies are aligned, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon’s surface, darkening it and causing strange changes in its appearance, NASA says. In the case of a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, causing the moon’s surface to turn a noticeable red for a few hours.

    This week there will be a partial lunar eclipse, which could still give the moon a reddish glow.

    A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the three celestial bodies are not in alignment, with the Moon passing through only part of the umbra and the rest of the Moon being covered by the Earth’s outer shadow, the penumbra.

    Although the shadow expands and then retreats, it never completely covers the moon, which is why only a portion of it appears red.

    Where and when will the lunar eclipse be visible?

    A lunar eclipse is only visible from half of the Earth.

    This week’s partial lunar eclipse should be visible Tuesday night across the entire Northern Hemisphere, including North America. For those in the United States, that means all of the lower 48 states should have a view.

    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 at 12:47 a.m. Wednesday morning, NASA said.

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

    Lunar eclipse coincides with supermoon

    And to add to the lunar fun, September’s full moon, the “Harvest Moon,” is also a supermoon.

    A supermoon is one of the largest and brightest moons of the year. It occurs when there is a full moon and the satellite is closest to the Earth in its elliptical orbit.

    For skywatchers, this means that this year’s Harvest Moon – so named for its historical ties to the time when crops were to be picked from the fields – also occurs this week, from Monday evening through Thursday morning.

    After September 17, the next supermoons are on October 17 and November 15.

    When is the next solar eclipse?

    Next up is an annular solar eclipse in the shape of a ‘ring of fire’, which will be visible on October 2.

    These celestial events occur when the moon appears slightly smaller than the sun, covering only a portion of the sun’s disk and creating the appearance of a ring of light that outlines the moon’s silhouette, according to the Planetary Society. Because the moon is at its farthest point from Earth in its orbit during an annular eclipse, the moon appears slightly smaller from Earth’s perspective.

    The “ring of fire” will be visible from parts of South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica. But in the U.S., Hawaii is the only state expected to be partially visible.

    As for the next lunar eclipse, it won’t be until March 14, 2025, that a total lunar eclipse will be visible across the entire United States.

    Contributors: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY

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