Partial lunar eclipse of the supermoon was visible in Massachusetts

Partial lunar eclipse seen over Massachusetts

BOSTON - There was a treat in the skies above Massachusetts Tuesday night. It was the September full moon, a supermoon known as the "Harvest Moon". It's also called the "Corn Moon."

This full moon was also partially eclipsed.

What's a supermoon?

A supermoon is simply a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit (also known as perigee). This tends to happen about three-to-four times each year, and we'll get another one next month. Supermoons look a bit larger and brighter than a typical full moon.

The harvest moon, a full supermoon, rises over Scituate, Massachusetts on September 17, 2024. Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu via Getty Images

Lunar eclipse Boston

As lunar eclipses go, this one was pretty minor.

At its peak, the Earth's shadow covered only 9% of the moon's diameter over Boston. This means about 4% of the moon's surface entered the umbra, the darkest portion of the Earth's shadow. Most of the action occurred in the penumbra, a much lighter and partial shadow cast by Earth. This was barely noticeable to the naked eye.

The supermoon over the Boston area, September 17, 2024. CBS Boston

The best time to view the eclipse was between 10:12 p.m. and 11:17 p.m. That's when the northern extent of the moon was in the umbra.

If you happened to snap any pictures, we would love to see them! Send them to weather@wbztv.com

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.