STARGAZERS are in for a double delight next week as September’s supermoon coincides with a partial lunar eclipse.
The rare twin event is set to occur on the evening of September 17, and into the morning of 18 September.
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The September full moon is known as the Harvest Moon, and is named for its proximity to the autumn equinox.
It will also be a supermoon, the second of four consecutive supermoons in 2024.
The moon travels around Earth in an elliptical orbit – an orbit that is oval shaped.
This means that there are points where the moon appears closer to Earth, and further away.
“Each month, the moon passes through the point closest to Earth (perigee) and the point farthest from Earth (apogee),” Nasa explains.
“When the moon is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time as it is full, it is called a “supermoon.””
This is when the moon appears particularly large and bright.
On top of that lunar spectacle, there will also be a partial eclipse.
This lunar eclipse will be a slight one, experts have cautioned.
Earth’s shadow will only appear on the upper side of the satellite, which is known as the umbra.
Most of the lunar disk will be in Earth penumbra, the lighter portion of the shadow.
Where and where to see the display
The double display will be visible in Europe, South America, Africa and most of North America.
But the majority of Asia and Oceania will miss out.
The partial eclipse will begin at 3:12am BST on 18 September, and end at 4:15am BST.
While the penumbral eclipse can be seen earlier at 1:41am BST and end at 5:47am BST.
Lunar eclipses explained
Here’s what you need to know…
The Earth is constantly rotating around the Sun, and the Moon is constantly rotating around the Earth.
Sometimes all three can align, placing the Earth directly between the Sun and the Moon in a straight line.
It means the Moon is in the darkest part of Earth’s shadow – the “umbra”.
And due to convenient sizing and distancing of all three objects, no sunlight can directly reach the Moon.
Lunar eclipses typically last just a few hours, and can be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth.
Because they’re typically quite dim, it’s also possible to view lunar eclipses without eye protection, which isn’t the case with a solar eclipse.
There are three different types of lunar eclipse:
- Total lunar eclipse – This is where the Moon turns deep red, receiving only light that’s passed through Earth’s atmosphere.
- Penumbral lunar eclipse – This is when the Sun, Moon and Earth fail to form a perfect straight line, so the Moon only travels through the outer part of Earth’s shadow. This means the Moon’s surface is partly darkened.
- Partial lunar eclipse – This is when part of the Moon travels through Earth’s full shadow, which results in part of the Moon being darkened.
