RIVERBEND – Observers might have noticed that the moon appeared a little more spectacular than normal on Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024.
Tuesday’s moon was the harvest moon, a supermoon and a partial lunar eclipse. The odds of all three astronomical events occurring at the same time are slim.
The supermoon occurs when a full moon is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit. On Tuesday, the moon was only about 226,000 miles away from Earth. To the casual observer, the result is a full moon that appears brighter and bigger than normal.
Tuesday’s supermoon was especially exciting because there was also a partial lunar eclipse visible in Europe and many parts of North America, South America, Asia and Africa. The peak of the eclipse occurred at 9:44 p.m.
But that’s not all. The harvest moon occurs near or on the fall equinox every year. This year’s harvest moon reached its peak on Tuesday, Sept. 17 around 9:30 p.m. Harvest moons are typically brighter and might appear to have an orange tint.
Did you see the moon on Tuesday, Sept. 17? Share your photos by emailing [email protected].
