A Large Harvest Moon Will Be Eclipsed Tonight

Tonight the Eastern Hemisphere will see the last harvest moon eclipse until 2024.

Look up tonight, because the moon should be pretty spectacular. It is the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, making it the harvest moon, so called because harvest moons have historically given farmers more time in the light to harvest their crops. It's also a particularly close and large moon tonight—a supermoon. And if that's not enough, the moon will darken for a time as it is eclipsed by the shadow of the Earth.

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Unfortunately for Americans, the eclipse will only be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is what's known as a prenumbral eclipse, when the moon passes into the lighter outer cone, or prenumbra, of the Earth's shadow. The moon will darken slightly during the eclipse, but will not change a dramatic red like the super blood moon of last year, which was a full lunar eclipse as well as a supermoon.

If you are in Eurasia, Africa or Oceania, you can catch the eclipse at 19:05 UTC, or 7:05 p.m. London time. Here in the Western Hemisphere, the moon should still be particularly bright and spectacular, a perfect opportunity to catch some detailed craters if you have a telescope.

Make sure to take advantage of the extra light to harvest your crops, and happy viewing!

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