ST. LOUIS – Just five months after much of the United States experienced a partial or total solar eclipse, there’s now a partial lunar eclipse to look forward to, in addition to a full, harvest, and super moon.
On the night of Sept. 17, the moon will be looking a little more different than it typically does. The supermoon, known as the part of the orbit where it is physically closer to Earth, will make the moon appear larger, 7% on this night to be exact, according to the National Park Service.
Typically, the full moon in September, or closest to the autumnal equinox, is commonly known as the “harvest moon,” which farmers depended on before technology to know when to harvest crops late at night.
While many get the impression that a harvest moon looks considerably bigger than normal, that part is just an illusion. It can look large and orange due to the location of the moon along the horizon combined with a thicker atmosphere, according to EarthSky.
One of the more common events is a full moon, with one each month. But what will make it different on the 17 is that a full moon, in addition to the other occurrences, there will be a very, very partial lunar eclipse.
Opposite from what the country experienced in April with the solar eclipse as the moon passed between the sun and Earth, a lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the sun and moon. While the partial eclipse will be a small difference, with only about 8.5% of the moon being covered, it will still be visible in St. Louis.
The partial eclipse is expected to begin at 9:12 p.m. Sept. 17, lasting an hour and three minutes, up until 10:15 p.m. The peak of the event will be at 9:44 p.m. Viewers can expect the upper edge of the moon to be dark.
The next major eclipse in the United States is the total lunar eclipse in the early hours of March 14, 2025. To see more in detail on the upcoming partial lunar eclipse event, click here.
