Partial lunar eclipse of the supermoon was visible in 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.
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 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
