Look to the skies, Atlanta! Tonight there’s not one rare lunar phenomenon to experience, but two! Get ready to stargaze (and moon-gaze) all night!
The Supermoon
Tonight, September 17th, 2024, is the massive supermoon called the Harvest Moon. Of course, this name seems not to need an explanation, as it’s the harvest season. There are other, similar names for this particular full moon as well.
According to CNN Science,
Other monikers for September’s full moon — as used across various indigenous tribes — include the “moon of full harvest” from the Hopi people, the “corn maker moon” from the Abenaki tribe, the “moon of the brown leaves” from the Lakota people and “autumn moon” from the Passamaquoddy tribe.
While scientists seem to have different opinions on what exactly makes a full moon into a supermoon, most agree that it has to do with the moon’s proximity to the earth, making it much larger and brighter in the sky than the average full moon! CNN Science says, “Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit.”
The Partial Eclipse
This full moon isn’t only a supermoon, however. It’s also going to be a partial lunar eclipse! According to Time and Date, the eclipse will begin tonight at 8:41pm and end at 12:47am! The best time to look outside and see it is 10:44pm, if the weather permits.
Remember that this is only a partial eclipse, so you should expect to see too much of a change. But it’ll still be so cool, especially since the moon is going to be massive tonight!
Don’t miss out on all the stellar (pun-intended) night sky happenings tonight, Atlanta! Look to the skies to see both the massive super moon AND the partial eclipse!