The Harvest Moon for 2024, always an anticipated event, comes with a couple of extra bonuses this time around: a “supermoon” plus a partial lunar eclipse!
As for the “supermoon” part, this means that this full moon will be somewhat at or near its closest approach to earth, making it appear somewaht larger and brighter than an average full moon.
The partial lunar eclipse will be visible across the western hemisphere (as well as parts of Europe and Africa), and will peak at 10:44 ET, though the beginning and end of the visible effects will occur up to several hours before and after the peak, depending on location. Only a relatively small portion of the moon’s visible surface will be plunged into the full shadow of Earth’s umbra (the darkest part of its shadow cast into space, but most the rest will be in the partial shadow of the penumbra, giving the moon a reddish appearance which is sometimes referred to as a “Blood Moon.”
No special equipment is needed to enjoy the show (and unlike a solar eclipse, no protective eyewear is required), although viewers with binoculars or telescopes may enjoy a close up look of the unique play of light and shadow moving across the mountains and craters of the moon’s surface.
