Tonight, sky enthusiasts are in for a rare celestial spectacle with a Super Harvest Moon coinciding with a partial lunar eclipse. This impressive event will occur on Tuesday night, offering a visual treat for observers across western Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and parts of Antarctica. Unfortunately, the eclipse will not be visible from India due to the Moon being below the horizon at the time.
A “Supermoon” refers to a full Moon that is within 90% of its closest distance to Earth, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. The Super Harvest Moon, named for its traditional role in marking the start of corn harvests, will appear slightly larger tonight due to this proximity.
The partial lunar eclipse will begin when the Moon starts entering Earth’s partial shadow at 8:41 pm EDT (6:11 am IST, Wednesday). NASA notes that the dimming effect may be subtle until the Moon’s top edge enters the full shadow.
The peak of the eclipse will occur at 10:44 pm EDT (8:14 am IST), with only about 8% of the Moon in full shadow. The Moon will exit the full shadow by 11:16 pm and complete its exit from the partial shadow by 12:47 am EDT on Wednesday.
This event is the second of four consecutive Supermoons this year. The Moon tonight will be larger than last month’s Supermoon and is expected to be nearly as close as the full Moon in October. Enjoy this extraordinary night of celestial wonder!