September's Harvest Moon will be a partial lunar eclipse. Here's when and how to see its peak tonight.
The September Harvest Moon, a partial lunar eclipse, will make its debut in the sky Monday evening and last through Thursday morning. The full moon will peak at 10:35 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 17, according to NASA.
The is the second of 2024's four consecutive supermoons, following August's blue supermoon, a rare phenomenon that dazzled stargazers around the world.
Here's when and where to catch September's supermoon spectacle.
When can I see the supermoon and the partial eclipse?
The supermoon will be visible for three full days from Monday to Thursday. What makes this moon special, The Old Farmer's Almanac says, is that it appears at the same time every night just as the sun is setting.
The partial lunar eclipse will peak 10:44 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 17. At this point, only 8% of the Moon will be in full shadow, NASA says.
For those looking to get an early start, the moon will enter into Earth's partial shadow beginning at 8:41 p.m. EDT. Spectators can look up specific moonrise times for their ZIP code using this tool from the Farmer's Almanac.
Why is it called the Harvest Moon?
The Harvest Moon coincides with the autumnal equinox, the first day of fall, which is Sunday, Sept. 22. As almanac lore goes, it's called the Harvest Moon because in the days before electricity lit up our fields, the moon's bright glow helped guide farmers as they were harvesting crops at the end of the season.
When people think of Harvest Moon, they often picture an orange globe in the sky. Music fans' minds may also jump to Neil Young's 1992 album "Harvest Moon." The album's titular song references the lunar event with the lines, "Because I'm still in love with you on this Harvest Moon."
Does September's full moon have any other special nicknames?
As NASA points out, the September harvest moon goes by several other monikers including the Corn Moon, the Potato Harvest Moon, and the Fruit or Barley Moon.
When will the next full moon take place?
The next supermoon, the third of four, will light up the sky on at 7:26 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct.17, per NASA. October's moon is nicknamed the Hunter's Moon.
