The full harvest moon of September 2024 is going to be unlike any other. Throughout the month of September, the moon is going to be larger than average and therefore a supermoon. But that’s not all. September’s full moon will also feature a partial lunar eclipse when it rises in the evening of September 17th.
In other words, September’s harvest moon will be memorable, due to the fact that these two phenomena, the partial lunar eclipse and the supermoon phenomenon, are coinciding.
The partial lunar eclipse will be visible practically worldwide. Those in most of North America, all of South America, Europe, eastern Africa, western Asia, and Russia will be able to witness the space spectacle in real-time.
What is a supermoon?
It is worth clarifying that the term “supermoon” is not officially used in astronomy. Instead, it is a colloquial expression adopted by astrologers and media.
Nonetheless, the term is used to describe a full moon occurring when the moon is at its closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit. When this happens, the moon might appear to be slightly larger in the sky, but for most people, the difference is almost undetectable.
This year has been (and will continue to be) great for those who enjoy looking at the moon. September’s full harvest moon is the second consecutive supermoon of 2024, with two more to come in October and November. The previous one was August’s super blue moon.
Unlike August’s super blue moon, September’s harvest supermoon will have a partial lunar eclipse
August’s super blue moon was simply an extra full moon in the calendar. It wasn’t a literal blue moon. The phenomenon is pretty interesting, but it does not come close to a lunar eclipse, which is what will partially be experienced by September’s supermoon.
Lunar eclipses happen when Earth passes between the sun and the moon and casts its own shadow upon our satellite. As Earth’s spherical shape is seen shadowing part of the moon, we are also reminded that our planet is round.
September’s lunar eclipse will unfortunately not be as glorious as it should be, given that this time around it will only be a partial one. The darkest part of Earth’s shadow, which is known as the umbra, will only be cast onto the upper portion of the moon. Regardless of this minor detail, the partial eclipse should provide interesting effects, especially in the moon’s craters for those who are observing with a telescope.
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