Rare Harvest Moon, Supermoon, and Lunar Eclipse in Minnesota on Tuesday

Have you noticed how amazing the night sky has been lately?  If you missed it, the Northern Lights popped up with a gorgeous, colorful show in the sky a few times.  And now, a trifecta of celestial events is going to appear high in the sky for all of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin to view.  Fingers crossed the clouds stay away.

Last month, space fans were treated to a blue supermoon, but September’s got even more in store. This time, the harvest moon will coincide with a supermoon, plus there’s going to be a partial lunar eclipse!

Supermoon Lighting Up The Sky This Week in Minnesota

Based on the latest info from Space.com, it appears that on Tuesday, September 17th, the sky is going to be extra bright.  The reason for the extra light at night is because we've got a Supermoon in our midst.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit. This makes the moon appear slightly brighter and closer than usual, though the difference is difficult to notice with the naked eye. - Space.com

That's not the only thing happening on Tuesday night!

Get Ready for a Harvest Moon on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024

In the sky on Tuesday, September 17th, we will also have a chance to view a Harvest Moon.

According to spaceplace.nasa.gov, the "harvest moon" gets its name from way back in the days before electricity, when farmers relied on the moon’s bright light to work late into the night, gathering their crops. It’s the full moon closest to the start of autumn, which was especially helpful during fall since that’s when the biggest harvests happened.

Lunar Eclipse Also Showing Up on Tuesday in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin

On Tuesday night, it will also appear that a bite has been taken out of the moon thanks to a partial lunar eclipse.  According to NASA, the partial eclipse will start at 8:41 pm EDT with the eclipse peak at 10:44 pm EDT.

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