Witness Rare, Out-of-This-World Lunar Trifecta Illuminate Our Sky

All in one night, we not only get to witness a stunning full Harvest Moon lighting up the sky, but also a supermoon that will experience a partial Lunar Eclipse, according to the Earth website.

A lunar eclipse happens when our planet passes between the sun and the moon. This casts a shadow that obscures the moon, and in this case we'll see a partial eclipse of a stunning Harvest Moon. But that's not all!

The phenomenon of a supermoon happens when the moon is at its closest point to Earth during its orbit. This makes it look ginormous and so much brighter than usual, which means this isn't your typical Harvest Moon.

A Harvest Moon is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, according to the Earth Website:

For centuries, it was a farmer’s friend, lighting up the night so they could gather crops late into the evening. It rises just 10-20 minutes later each night, which means many nights of extended twilight — perfect for farming.

So look up, because this rare trifecta will align to give us a celestial spectacle that’s truly out of this world. This cosmic treat will happen for several hours on Tuesday night, Sept. 17, through the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 18.

This extraordinary lunar event is celebrated globally with festivals, captivating stories shared around campfires, and, of course, a little bit of science to help us understand the wonder of these natural occurrences:

Partial lunar eclipse is set to kick off at 8:41 PM EDT, however, the real spectacle begins when the Moon dips into the Earth’s full shadow at 10:13 PM, transforming its appearance. During this phase, just 8% of the Moon will be obscured, resulting in a visually stunning event as the Moon takes on a deep orangish hue.

The entire display comes to an end at 12:47AM.

The beauty of this Harvest Moon plus supermoon will continue to light up the sky for the next few days as it wanes.