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The full moon on Tuesday in September is a supermoon and harvest moon

Moon watchers can look forward to a few special treats this month: The full “Harvest Moon” is also a supermoon. There is also a partial lunar eclipse.

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Moon watchers can expect a special highlight this month: the full “Harvest Moon” in September is also a supermoon. That means it is slightly larger and brighter than an average moon.

The full moon will be Tuesday night, September 17, 2024, at 10:35 p.m. EDT, NASA reports. The moon will appear full for about three days, from Monday evening through Thursday morning.

In addition, there will be a partial lunar eclipse on the night of the full moon, which will make sky watching even more fun.

Why is it called the “Harvest Moon”?

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which this year is September 22nd.

The full moon's name has long been associated with the time when the crops must be gathered from the fields. “In the days before tractors with headlights, moonlight was crucial for working, so that the crops could be brought in quickly before they were spoiled by rain,” said Alan MacRobert, editor of Sky & Telescope magazine.

Many crops ripen in late summer and early fall, so farmers were extremely busy at this time of year, working after sunset, according to NASA. Moonlight became an essential part of agriculture, and the full moon was born.

According to NASA, the term “Harvest Moon” was first published in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1706.

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Why is it a “supermoon”?

When the Moon's orbit brings it closer to Earth than usual, this cosmic combination is called a supermoon.

When this happens, the moon may appear slightly larger and brighter than normal.

“Different publications use slightly different thresholds to decide when a full moon is close enough to Earth to be considered a supermoon,” NASA says. “Because the moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, the moon will be closer to Earth at times during its orbit than at other times.”

On average, supermoons appear about 7% larger and about 15% brighter than a typical full moon.

This is the second of four consecutive supermoons: after September 17, the next supermoons are October 17 and November 15.

The full moon in September also brings a partial lunar eclipse

According to NASA, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth's shadow falls on the moon, either darkening it or turning it a striking red over the course of a few hours. The partial lunar eclipse on September 17 is caused by an imperfect alignment of the sun, moon and Earth, so only part of the moon is covered by the Earth's shadow.

The time of the greatest lunar eclipse on Tuesday will be at 10:44 p.m. ET. At that time, the top 8 percent of the moon will be completely in shadow.

The next total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas will be on March 14, 2025.

Contributors: Steve Howe, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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