Last night, the Harvest Moon supermoon lunar eclipse provided a spectacular spectacle for people around the world, with at least part of the eclipse visible to over 50% of the world’s population.
The partially lunar eclipse reached its darkest phase when the moon will be most obscured by Earth’s darkest shadow – the umbra – on September 17 at approximately 10:44 p.m. EDT (September 18 at 2:44 a.m. GMT).
We’ll have to wait until March 13-14, 2025 for the next lunar eclipse, which will be a dramatic total lunar eclipse. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire disk of the moon turns hazy red as it enters the Earth’s shadow. This eerie color change is why a total lunar eclipse is also known as a blood moon. The full phase of the lunar eclipse will be visible in the United States, with at least some of the eclipse visible in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and much of Africa. by Timeanddate.
But until then, let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the celestial spectacle our neighboring moon presented us last night. Both the lunar eclipse and the full moon produced some simply stunning photos.
Josh Dagenais sent us a great photo of a partial lunar eclipse and a fleeting visitor from Hanover Park, Illinois, USA
“I was watching from about 9:10 to 10:10 a.m. local time. I was waiting for the right shot. I didn’t quite get what I wanted, but I did get a cameo of a bat,” Dagenais said in an email to Space.com.
“The spooky season has now begun,” Dagenais added.
Photographer Josh Dury was incredibly lucky to capture the entire partial lunar eclipse sequence from start to finish. The composite image was taken from Dury’s vantage point in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK.
“I spoke to a few people this morning and there were clouds within a 5-mile radius! Fortunately, from the Mendip Hills, the sky just made it to the umbra crossing the lunar surface,” Dury said in an email to Space.com.
“It is truly wonderful to witness the celestial mechanics of the solar system and to be fortunate enough to capture this documentary compilation from start to finish,” Dury continued.
Photographer Austin Bond sent us this stunning image of the partial lunar eclipse from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA
In this beautiful close-up of the Moon from Turkey, the Earth’s shadow falls on the lunar surface. Photographer Isa Terli took this photo on September 18, 2024, when the partial lunar eclipse was in full swing.
Another photographer in Turkey captured a rather atmospheric scene over Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in Ankara.
Mehmet Futsi captured the partly cloudy sky that covered the full moon in a thin layer of clouds during the partial lunar eclipse.
For those who were unable to witness the lunar eclipse, the full moon supermoon was still a spectacular destination for skygazing.
In China, many people gathered on September 17th for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival is celebrated annually and is also known as the Moon or Mooncake Festival, according to the BBC. It is the second biggest event in the Chinese calendar after the New Year.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people give thanks for the autumn harvest and celebrate the full moon.
The Harvest Moon lives up to its name in this image below from photographer Ross Harried. The photo shows the Harvest Moon supermoon rising over a soybean crop at Malkow Farms in Monroe, Wisconsin.
The term Harvest Moon is commonly used to describe a full moon that is closest to the autumn equinox; depending on the year, it can occur in either September or October.
Josh Dinner of Space.com went out to photograph the full moon last night and got some nice shots despite the clouds.
“The clouds were low on the horizon, so it was not entirely clear whether we would see the moon rise or not,” Dinner said.
“It was only visible for about 20 minutes before it disappeared behind more clouds. It was not visible again until later that evening when the clouds parted and the bright moonlight illuminated the clear Indiana evening.” Dinner continued.
Photographer Rodger Bosch captured this beautiful image of the full moon rising over Kalk Bay Harbour near Cape Town, South Africa.
The bright lights of the Big Apple couldn’t stand up to the full autumn moon in this dramatic photo by Gary Hershorn.
Here the fully illuminated Harvest Moon rises behind the iconic Empire State Building in New York City.
In the photo below, people enjoy the view of the full moon from the Galata Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye. Photographer Isa Terli captured this beautiful image on September 17, 2024.
In the image below, nighttime thrill seekers made the most of September’s supermoon by riding some waves under its iconic glow. Photographer Saeed Khan captured this brilliant photo on September 18 at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Below, the full moon rises over the Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Massachusetts, USA. Photographer Joseph Prezioso captured this scene on September 17.
If you want to take photos the moon or would you like to prepare your equipment for the total lunar eclipse in 2025, check out our best cameras for astrophotography And best lenses for astrophotographyRead our instructions on how to photograph a lunar eclipseas well as how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips on planning your moon photo session.
Has all this lunar eclipse action got you in some sort of eclipse frenzy? Then you’ll be pleased to hear that you don’t have to wait too long for the next eclipse event, as you can see the last solar eclipse of 2024 on October 2. For details on how and where to see this iconic annular solar eclipse in the “Ring of Fire,” check out our Guide to the 2024 Annular Solar Eclipse And Solar Eclipse Live Blog.
