Tag Archives: Harvest Moon

Partial lunar eclipse and a Supermoon should be a sight to see

Rare-Blue-Supermoon

Important Takeaways:

  • The harvest moon, or closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, will also be a supermoon, appearing larger and brighter in the night sky. If that wasn’t enough, there will also be a partial lunar eclipse.
  • The full moon and lunar eclipse will be Tuesday night, Sept. 17, into Wednesday morning.
  • The moon’s orbit around the earth is an ellipse, not a perfect circle. A full moon is considered a supermoon when it comes within 90% of perigee, its closest point to Earth.
  • According to NASA, the closest supermoons appear “about 17 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter” than the furthest, faintest moon of the year.
  • Supermoons happen only three or four times a year. There are four this year. Tuesday’s supermoon will be nearly 3,000 miles closer than August’s “blue” supermoon. October’s supermoon will be the year’s closest at 222,055 miles (357,364 kilometers) from Earth, followed by November’s supermoon at a distance of 224,853 miles (361,867 kilometers).

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Tonight’s Harvest Moon will be the last Supermoon of the year

Last-Supermoon-2023

Important Takeaways:

  • Starting Thursday evening, a brilliant supermoon will be visible in the sky.
  • Supermoons occur when a full moon reaches perigee, or the nearest point to Earth on its elliptical orbit around our planet.
  • Since it’s occurring close to this year’s autumnal equinox on Sept. 23, it’s also known as a harvest moon.
  • Historically farmers harvesting their summer-grown crops were helped by the bright moonlight shining shortly after sunset

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