What time is the partial lunar eclipse? Tonight's celestial event coincides with Harvest Moon
Full moons may occur with some regularity, but September's full moon won't be one to miss.
When the Harvest Moon rises this week along the horizon, spectators will be treated not only to an exceptionally large and bright supermoon, but – on Tuesday only – also a partial lunar eclipse. As the moon rises near sunset across the Northern Hemisphere, it will be partly covered by Earth's shadow as our planet passes between our natural satellite and the sun.
Here's when and where to see the lunar eclipse.
What is a partial lunar eclipse?What to know about the spectacular sight across U.S.
What time is the partial lunar eclipse?
According to NASA, the moon will enter Earth's partial shadow at 8:41 PM EDT, but it's the peak of the eclipse that viewers will want to witness. While the moon will slightly dim around 10:13 p.m., the peak itself will occur at 10:44 p.m.
At that time, a dark shadow will appear at the top of the moon, gradually covering about 8% of it, before receding. The moon will finish exiting the full shadow at 11:16 p.m. and the partial shadow early Wednesday morning at 12:47 a.m., NASA said.
Timeanddate.com offers a detailed eclipse schedule for any location on the planet.
Where will the partial lunar eclipse be visible?
The visually striking celestial phenomenon only occurs during a full moon. But while lunar eclipses are relatively rare, when they do happen, they're visible to an entire half of Earth. For this eclipse, the Northern Hemisphere will be treated to the view, including all of North America (except Alaska). For those in the United States, that means all lower 48 states should have a view.
The eclipse will also be visible in South America, Greenland, Europe, Africa and most of the Middle East.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse results from the Earth moving between the sun and moon.
In the case of a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, which can turn the lunar surface a striking red for a few hours, according to NASA. This week, those three celestial bodies imperfectly align, creating a partial lunar eclipse as Earth’s shadow falls upon – but does not entirely cover – the surface of the moon.
To make the celestial event even more spectacular, this week's moon is a supermoon, which occurs when a full moon coincides with the satellite's closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]