Stargazers are in for a treat this month with a rare merger of a partial lunar eclipse and a supermoon happening concurrently. On the evening of Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the full harvest moon will dawn on the night sky, while viewers in parts of North America, South America, Europe, and Africa get to behold a partial lunar eclipse.
A supermoon occurs when the moon comes closest to Earth while on its oval-shaped, 27-day orbit. This means that should it be a full moon simultaneously, it would appear atypically larger and brighter than what is normally seen. This is why it is dubbed a "supermoon."
The harvest moon, or corn moon, on the other hand, as the name suggests, was once imperative to farmers, occurring close to the autumnal equinox. At a time when there was no electricity, it was the harvest moon that allowed them to continue working into the odd hours of the night.
Time Zones to keep in mind to look out for the supermoon
Tabulated below are the timezones for the full harvest moon:
Where to watch the supermoon this September 17
If you can't make it to watch the eclipse in person you can catch live streams available for you to choose from. You can either check out Space.com or any of the below-mentioned channels.
- TimeAndDate.com- From 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 17 (1:00 a.m. GMT on Sept 18).
- The Virtual Telescope Project- From 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17 (12:30 a.m. GMT on Sept. 18)
- The Adler Planetarium- From 10 p.m. EDT, or 9 p.m. CDT local time (01:00 a.m. GMT on Sept. 18).
How to view the Supermoon?
If you're aiming for optimal sightseeing, you might want to grab some telescopes and binoculars. You can head outside in the evening following the timetable listed above to check out the rare celestial event. This one can be viewed with the naked eye and no safety gear is needed.
According to Space.com,
“With or without a telescope, the smooth curve of the dark umbra on the lunar disk will be a nice reminder to us, as it was a divine revelation to the ancient Greeks, that our Earth is round.”
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While the harvest moon may have once been critical for farmers, it still holds significance to this day. For Hindus, it marks the end of Ganesh Chaturthi and the start of Pitru Paksha. For Buddhists, this moon is known as the Madhu Purnima. It is when they offer honey as a ritual. It marks the Moon Festival for the Chinese as well.
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