The Harvest Moon Supermoon will see part of Earth’s shadow pass over the lunar surface tonight, creating a murky red partial lunar eclipse.
The lunar eclipse will reach its maximum phase, whereby the moon is obscured by Earth’s darkest shadow, the umbra, at approximately 10:44 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17, for viewers in the U.S. Eastern Time Zone. In Europe and Africa, the eclipse will occur during the early morning hours of Sept. 18. In London, the peak of the eclipse will be visible around 3:44 a.m. BST on Sept. 18. The exact timings of the beginning and end of the partial lunar eclipse depend on your location and you can use websites like Timeanddate.com to find specific timings.
If you can’t catch the lunar eclipse in person, you can follow the event online at Space.com. We’ve gathered several livestreams covering the partial eclipse of the Super Harvest Moon on Sept 17.
The partial lunar eclipse will be visible across most of North America, throughout South America, across Europe, nearly all of Africa except its easternmost regions, western parts of Asia and Russia, and portions of Antarctica. Over 50% of the world’s population will be able to see at least some portion of the lunar eclipse, according to Timeanddate.
The partial eclipse phase of the eclipse will last for approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes according to Timeanddate. The entire duration of the lunar eclipse, including the beginning and end of all eclipse phases will be 4 hours and 5 minutes.
Maximum eclipse timings across various cities
Here are some notable locations and the time of maximum eclipse based on data from Timeanddate. Please note that all timings are in local time.
| Location | Local time | Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| London, UK | 3:44 a.m. (Sept. 18) | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| Athens, Greece | 5:44 a.m. (Sept. 18) | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| Cairo, Egypt | 5:44 a.m. (Sept. 18) | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| New York, U.S. | 10:44 p.m. | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
| San Francisco, U.S | 7:44 p.m. | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
| São Paulo, Brazil | 11:44 p.m. | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
| Mexico City, Mexico | 8:44 p.m. | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
What to expect
During a partial lunar eclipse, only part of the moon enters Earth’s shadow, making it look as though a hazy “bite” has been taken out of the moon. This shadow darkens the side of the moon that faces Earth, and the size of the “bite” depends on the alignment of the sun, Earth and moon.
Approximately 3.5% of the moon’s visible surface will be covered by Earth’s darkest shadow, the umbra. The rest of the Full Moon will appear slightly reddish-brown as the lighter portion of Earth’s shadow, which doesn’t fully block sunlight, spreads over most of the lunar surface.
Top photography tips
The key to a perfect shot is preparation. Before heading out, ensure your equipment is cleaned, packed, and ready. Apps like PhotoPills can help you pinpoint the moon’s location in the sky during the lunar eclipse. Keep a close eye on the weather forecast, as cloud cover can spoil your shots. It’s a good idea to have several locations in mind to adjust for cloud movement.
The moon always makes for an interesting skywatching and photography target, especially during a lunar eclipse. If you’re looking for some advice on how to capture a perfect lunar eclipse photo our guide on how to photograph a lunar eclipse may help. We also have a helpful guide on how to photograph a supermoon to keep you occupied before the eclipse rolls in.
And if you want to get a closer look at the moon’s many features during lunar eclipses or at any other time, be sure to take a look at our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars.
Editor’s note: If you snap a great picture of the moon during September’s partial lunar eclipse, and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
