Skywatchers were treated to a spectacular celestial display on Tuesday evening as the orange Harvest supermoon occurred coincident with a partial lunar eclipse.
Super Harvest Moon Eclipse occurs before the change of seasons
The last full moon of the summer season will rise on the night of September 18. It will be the most significant full moon because it is a supermoon during a partial lunar eclipse.
A spectacular lunar event delighted skywatchers in the United States and throughout the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday evening.
During this week’s full moon, which also happens to be an exceptionally large and bright supermoon, another phenomenon occurred: a partial lunar eclipse.
On Tuesday evening, the orange supermoon Harvest rose in the sky at a time when Earth’s only natural satellite passed unusually close to our planet in its elliptical orbit. Then, hours later, the moon was partially obscured by Earth’s shadow as our planet moved between it and the sun.
Images from all over the world show not only the visually impressive Harvest Supermoon, but also the moment when the partial lunar eclipse took place. Here is a look at photos:
See photos of the Harvest supermoon and partial lunar eclipse.
There is still time to see the harvest moon
Although the Harvest Moon reached its brightest on Tuesday, parallel to the solar eclipse, there is still time to see the full moon.
The Harvest Moon appeared on Monday and will last for three nights, ending in the early hours of Thursday, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Unlike other moon names, the Harvest Moon is not associated with a specific month, but rather occurs around the time of the autumn equinox every year, according to the almanac. This means that the Harvest Moon can occur in either September or October, depending on how the lunar cycle aligns with the Gregorian calendar.
The autumn equinox this year is on Sunday, September 22nd, but the autumn moon is already rising in the night sky.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
