Skywatchers will be in for a treat, as Tuesday night’s full moon will be a supermoon, blood moon, and full moon all in one.
The rare coincidence of cosmic events brings with it a bonus: a partial lunar eclipse.
About 8% of the moon will be obscured by Earth’s shadow when the eclipse reaches its peak at 9:44 p.m. Central Time, NASA said. Weather permitting, the spectacle, in which Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon’s surface and sometimes turns the surface a striking red, will be visible across North and South America, as well as parts of Europe and Africa, the space agency said.
And yes, the lunar eclipse can be safely viewed with the naked eye, according to Astronomy Magazine, unlike solar eclipses where that is not possible. Those who miss it will have to wait until March 14, 2025, when a total lunar eclipse will be visible in the Americas, Western Europe and West Africa, NASA said.
Here’s what else will be visible in the sky on Tuesday evening:
Full moon: This happens when the side of the moon facing the Earth is completely illuminated by the sun.
Supermoon: This happens when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth and it is also a full moon. On Tuesday, the moon is expected to be about 350,000 kilometers from Earth, much closer than the 400,000 kilometers when it is at its farthest. The moon’s orbit is more oval, so its distance from Earth fluctuates. The moon appears larger when it is closer to Earth.
Harvest Moon: A full moon that appears closest to the start of fall. Fall begins at 7:43 a.m. on Sunday. The name comes from the pre-electricity era, according to NASA, when farmers relied on the light of the moon to bring in their crops late into the night.
